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PROSPECTS
28.
OUR APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG HAS THROUGHOUT BEEN A VERY CAUTIOUS ONE. WE HAVE SOUGHT TO BUILD ON LOCAL INSTITUTIONS AND TRADITIONS. THIS APPROACH HAS BEEN WELCOMED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THEY HAVE SHOWN A CONSISTENT PREFERENCE FOR GRADUALISM, AND A STRONG CONCERN THAT SOCIAL STABILITY SHOULD NOT BE ENDANGERED. THESE CONCERNS ARE LIKELY TO BE EVEN MORE PROMINENT IN THE DIFFICULT YEARS THAT LIE AHEAD.
29.
WE CANNOT PREDICT WITH ANY CERTAINTY HOW THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THE ISSUES TO BE COVERED IN THE 1987 REVIEW WILL DEVELOP. ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, IN PARTICULAR, OPINIONS ARE AT PRESENT DEEPLY DIVIDED. IT MAY WELL BE THAT NO CLEAR CONSENSUS WILL EMERGE. THE HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST BE THE JUDGES OF WHERE THERE OWN BEST INTERESTS LIE. WE WOULD DO THEM A DISSERVICE TO URGE THEM TO GO FURTHER OR FASTER THAN THEY WISH TO GO.
THE ISSUES IN THE REVIEW COULD BEST BE EXPLAINED TO THEM CLEARLY AND FULLY, BUT WITHOUT SEEKING TO LEAD THEM TO A PARTICULAR CONCLUSION.
30.
IN THE MEANTIME WE MUST CONTINUE AND INTENSIFY OUR EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE ON ALL THE ISSUES CONNECTED WITH QUOTE CONVERGENCE UNQUOTE. WE MUST EMPHASISE WHY THE 1987 REVIEW MUST BE SEEN TO BE GENUINE AND OPEN, WITH BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS KEEPING AN OPEN MIND OVER THE OUTCOME. WE MUST SEEK TO CREATE CONDITIONS OF TRUST WITHIN WHICH PROBLEMS CAM BE DISCUSSED AND SOLVED.
31. THE TWO EXERCISES UNDER WAY IN 1987, NAMELY THE 1987 REVIEW AND THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW, ESSENTIALLY INVOLVE PARALLEL CONSULTATION OF THE SAME PEOPLE ON THE SAME ISSUES. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THEIR OUTCOME SHOULD NOT BE COMPATIBLE. OUR TASK WILL BE TO DEMONSTRATE TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE THAT THEIR VIEWS HAVE BEEN FAITHFULLY REFLECTED AND TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, WHILE AVOIDING THE VERY DAMAGING CHINESE REACTION WHICH COULD ENSUE IF THE CHINESE FELT WE WERE PRE-EMPTING OR SEEKING TO DICTATE THE CONTENT OF THE BASIC LAW.
32.
IT IS TOO EARLY TO JUDGE EXACTLY WHAT PROBLEMS MIGHT
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