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whether it would be necessary for the question to be considered and
resolved in
favour of direct elections. In the latter case, many
people who did not really want direct elections would say they were
in favour simply to test HMG's willingness to face up to the Chinese
on the issue.
15.
Mr Oswald Cheung said he was not sure this was a problem.
The Chinese had selected the members of the BLDC to represent different views in Hong Kong. The Secretary of State agreed with this point. The BLDC membership might not be as representative as
could be wished, but among them were a significant number who wanted
direct elections. It would be hard for the Chinese to dismiss such
views, since they had chosen the members.
16.
Miss Dunn said the main point must be that the 1987 Review
should be seen to be genuine; that HMG and HKG should make it clear
that they had no fixed views in advance about the outcome.
17.
Dr Wilson noted that even if the Chinese accepted the need
for a genuine consultation, with the option of direct elections
remaining open, there might be a sticking point for them. They
might hold that it was not for HMG to introduce direct elections
these in 1988, but
1988, but for them, the Chinese, to say in the Basic Law
what proportion of members of the legislature should be directly
elected. The Secretary of State agreed with this point; so did
Miss Tam, who added that the Chinese were still getting very
in Hong Kong.
different
advice
from
different
sources
as expressed in the
Industrialists and others were still saying to Chinese visitors that
they were apprehensive about direct elections. It was by no means
clear whether the demand for direct elections
1987 Review would be strong enough. When
whether we should introduce direct elections,
Chinese, this would require careful discussion
to experts!
18.
it came to deciding
or leave this to the
-
perhaps better left
Miss Dunn noted that the more HMG and HKG gave the impression
that they did not favour direct elections, the more people would ask
for them. The Secretary of State noted that there would be views at
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