views are sharply divided about whether this should
happen in 1988. I totally reject the implication in
your letter that the consultative exercise was in
someway manipulated by the Hong Kong Government.
I have
no doubt that it was conducted in a scrupulously fair and
objective way.
When I was in Hong Kong in 1984 I also made clear
that well before 1997 there should be a steady and secure
the amount of representation of local people in the
increase in representative government
commitment to this remains unchanged.
Hong Kong. Our
I hope that the debate on Hong Kong which took place
on 20 January in the House of Commons will have served td
make clear the government's position on this matter. I
also trust that it will have demonstrated that there is
no question of any broken promises or of the government
having gone back on any commitments to the people of Hong
Kong on the subject of direct elections. At no time did
the British Government promise that direct elections
would be introduced in 1988. I am enclosing a copy of
the Foreign Secretary's opening statement in the debate
which sets out the government's views on Hong Kong
issues, and in particular the development of
representative government in Hong Kong, in some detail.
You refer to emigration from Hong Kong. It should be
recognised that Hong Kong people have always been highly
mobile. We watch emigration trends closely and I am
aware that there has recently been some increase in net