From: lan Grist, MP
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SWIA 0AA
! MURB 011/1
HKD for draft reply from hard Glenarthur by 20th Jan. please
CC. PS / Lord Glencouther
11 January 1988
дел
2 7 JAN 1989
лал
Dear Si
D-1.
са
I enclose two letters I have had from Hong Kong Chinese living in
my constituency, together with certain photos of newspaper articles from the South China Morning Post, and other publications. The first letter is from Mr Edmund Chan of 30 Harriet, Cathays, Cardiff who is a
Christian Chinese living in a house owned by his father. The whole of this family residential rights in Britain. The other letter is from Mr JM Ng of 56 Arabella Street, Roath, Cardiff.
As you will see from both letters, my constituents are concerned that there seems to be little intention of according direct elections to residents of Hong Kong prior to the hand-over of the territory to China in 1997. Having spoken to them, I am clear that they feel it would be an issue of poor faith by Britain if we were not to accord them this right. I have indicated that the opposition of the Chinese Government makes
for considerable difficulties in this area, although we are not unsympathetic
to their desires.
I would be most grateful if I could have your official response to
this demand which is, of course, one that at any rate in principle we
should support, if only that were possible.
Yours sincerely
Kuto Howell
PP I am onst.
The Lord Glenarthur
Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Whitehall
London SW1