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IS DESCRIBED IN THE BASIC LAW. IF CONVERGENCE CANNOT BE ACHIEVED
THERE WILL BE A DISRUPTIVE BREAK IN 1997 AND POSSIBLY OPEN CONFLICT
BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS BEFORE 1997. EITHER
WOULD BE DAMAGING TO CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG.
21.
THE GENERAL PROBLEM IS COMPOUNDED BY PARTICULAR
COMPLICATIONS OF TIMING OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. THE REVIEW TO
BE CONDUCTED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DURING 1987 WILL ADDRESS
THE IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT AT THE
SAME TIME AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THE BLDC CONSIDER THE
STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE SAR IN 1997. THE FIRST DRAFT OF
THE BASIC LAW WILL BE PUBLISHED IN 1988. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT
THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE OUTCOME OF THESE
TWO EXERCISES. PARTICULAR DIFFICULTY WOULD BE CAUSED IF A
DECISION TAKEN BY THE BRITISH SIDE AT THE END OF 1987 WAS
INCONSISTENT WITH PROVISIONS IN THE BASIC LAW PUBLISHED BY THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR. THIS WOULD CALL INTO
QUESTION QUOTE CONVERGENCE UNQUOTE AND A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN
1997: GREATLY DAMAGE CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG: AND WEAKEN THE
BASIS FOR OUR NECESSARY COOPERATION WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
THE CHINESE ATTITUDE
22.
OVER THE PAST YEAR THE CHINESE HAVE ON MANY OCCASIONS
MADE KNOWN THEIR CONCERN AT THE DIRECTION AND PACE OF
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG. IN NOVEMBER 1985 THEIR
REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG PUBLICLY ACCUSED US OF QUOTE
DEVIATIONS FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION UNQUOTE, A STATEMENT WHICH
SERIOUSLY JOLTED CONFIDENCE. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE NOW DONE MUCH TO
RE-ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL TRUST OVER THESE ISSUES,
CHINESE NERVOUSNESS REMAINS.
23.
CHINESE CONCERNS APPEAR TO BE TWOFOLD. THE CHINESE ARE
ANXIOUS THAT WE SHOULD NOT DECIDE ON MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
(IN PARTICULAR OVER DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL)
IN ADVANCE OF THE PUBLICATION OF THE BASIC LAW. THEY DO NOT WANT
THE IMPRESSION TO BE GIVEN THAT IMPORTANT PROVISIONS IN THE BASIC
LAW HAVE BEEN IMPOSED ON THEM BY OUR PRE-EMPTIVE ACTION THROUGH
THE REVIEW. ON SUBSTANCE THEY FEAR (AS DO MANY IN HONG KONG
ITSELF) THAT TOO RAPID AN EVOLUTION OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT
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