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through the hand-over.
The
Governor
observed that in the PRC's
view, the Chief Executive would be the PRC representative in Hong
Kong as well as the administrator of the SAR and its ceremonial
head. The PRC could appoint anyone they liked
anyone they liked from 1 July 1987. They could even appoint whomever they liked before that, and have
him waiting in the wings. We must oppose that, and insist that a
Chief Executive must be chosen before 1997 in such a way that he
would have the confidence of the PRC, HMG and Hong Kong people. Otherwise the transition simply would not work. Dr Wilson said that
there would also be advantage in setting up the institution of Chief
Executive in advance so that the Hong Kong administration could get
used to dealing with that institution.
The Defence Costs Agreement
27.
Miss Dunn
would be
said that the renegotiation of the DCA in 1987
controversial.
LEGCO was becoming a more lively
institution, and the financial committee was flexing its muscles.
We should note that the Joint Declaration had laid down that the PRC
would provide defence for Hong Kong after 1997 without making any
charge on Hong Kong people for this.
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