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THE PROPOSALS WHICH IT PUTS FORWARD.
HOWEVER, WE MUST RECOGNISE
THAT THE WAY IN WHICH THE GREEN PAPER IS HANDLED WILL BE A
PRECEDENT FOR THE WHITE PAPER, AND THAT WE ARE UNLIKELY TO BE
ABLE TO BE LESS FORTHCOMING WITH IT THAN WE HAVE BEEN WITH THE
GREEN PAPER.
POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF THE 1987 REVIEW
ON THE ONE HAND, THERE
23. THE 1987 REVIEW, AND IN PARTICULAR THE ISSUE OF DIRECT
ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAS ALREADY STIMULATED
CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC DEBATE IN HONG KONG. OPINIONS ON THE
QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS ARE DIVIDED.
ARE THOSE WHO OPPOSE IN PRINCIPLE THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT
ELECTIONS: ON THE OTHER, THERE ARE THOSE WHO ARGUE FOR THE
INCLUSION OF A NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1988. BETWEEN THESE POLES OF OPINION, VIEWS ARE MUCH MORE DIFFUSE, PARTICULARLY ON THE QUESTION OF WHEN
DIRECT ELECTIONS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED. IT IS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN
THAT A CLEAR CONSENSUS ON THIS ISSUE WILL EMERGE DURING THE
COURSE OF THE REVIEW. RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA COULD AFFECT HONG
KONG OPINION ON DIRECT ELECTIONS IN EITHER WAY. THE CHINESE, FOR THEIR PART, ARE CONTINUING TO MAKE KNOWN THEIR OWN MISGIVINGS ABOUT DIRECT ELECTIONS AND TO SEEK TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION.
THIS COULD AFFECT THE OUTCOME EITHER WAY, DEPENDING ON THE
SUBTLETY OF THEIR TACTICS
24. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT WHEN WE COME TO DISCUSS THE OUTCOME
OF THE REVIEW WITH THE CHINESE THEY MAY SEEK TO IMPOSE THEIR OWN
DEFINITION OF QUOTE CONCENSUS UNQUOTE. ZHOU NAN TOLD SIR E YOUDE ON 5 DECEMBER 1986 THAT IT WOULD BE QUOTE UNACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE
UNQUOTE IF WE DESCRIBED AS A CONSENSUS A SITUATION IN WHICH THERE
WAS A DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS. ALTHOUGH THIS MAY HAVE BEEN A
PERSONAL COMMENT, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO CHINESE MINDS AND COULD WELL CAUSE DIFFICULTIES IN OUR DISCUSSIONS
WITH THE CHINESE.
25. AT PRESENT IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE REVIEW ON
THE DIRECT ELECTIONS ISSUE WILL BE ALONG ONE OF FOUR POSSIBLE
LINES:
(I) WE MIGHT CONCLUDE THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG
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