UNCLASSIFIED
074537
MDLIAN 0373
AND STABILITY, THEY WILL KEEP ON SENDING ''TRIAL BALLOONS'' TO TEST REACTIONS OF THE OTHER PARTY IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND AGREEMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE CHINESE SIDE BASICALLY ACCEPTS THE MAIN CONTENTS OF THE WHITE PAPER. THE FACT THAT LI HOU HAD SAID EARLIER IN PUBLIC THAT THE CHINESE WERE NOT AGAINST THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS IN HK AFTER 1991. WAS A GREEN LIGHT TO THE BRITISH THAT # 1 IT CAN BE STIPULATED IN THE WHITE PAPER THAT PARTIAL DIRECT ELECTIONS WILL BE INTRODUCED IN 1991'.
BECAUSE DIRECT ELECTIONS WILL BE INTRODUCED
·
IN 1991 AND NOT 1988, AND BECAUSE CHINA HAS NOT RAISED ANY OBJECTIONS ALTHOUGH IT HAD EARLIER INDICATED THAT IT WAS AGAINST POLITICAL CHANGES IN HK BEFORE THE PROMULGATION. OF THE BASIC LAW PEOPLE MAY HAVE AN
, IMPRESSION THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE MADE CONCESSIONS. THIS MAY BE TRUE. BUT IF ONE TAKES A CLOSER LOOK AT THE SITUATION, ONE CAN SEE THAT THE EXTENT OF THE CONCESSIONS MADE BY THE BRITISH IS NOT THE SAME AS THAT BY THE CHINESE. FOR THE HK-BRITISH GOVERNMENT THE CONCESSION IS TO DELAY THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR THREE YEARS. THIS IS AN INDICATION THAT (THE BRITISH) HAVE STOOD FIRM ON THE PRINCIPLE OF INTRODUCING DEMOCRATIC DIRECT ELECTIONS AND ONLY TECHNICAL DETAILS HAVE BEEN CHANGED. THE CONCESSION BY THE CHINESE IS NOT SMALL AT ALL. TO SET HK PEOPLE'S HEARTS AT EASE, CHINA HAS BEEN EAGER TO PLAY A NEW ROLE OF A PERSON WHO UNDERSTANDS AND ABIDES BY THE LAW. THEREFORE, (THE CHINESE) FEEL THAT THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY CHANGES TO THE POLITICAL SYSTEM. THIS IS BECAUSE THE CHINESE FEEL THAT EVERYTHING HAS TO BE DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE THAT IS TO SAY EVERYTHING HAS TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE
· PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW. THE BASIC LAW WILL BE COMPLETED IN 1990 AND SUBMITTED TO THE NPC FOR PASSAGE. THE BASIC LAW HAS TO GO THROUGH ALL THESE NORMAL PROCEDURES BEFORE IT CAN BECOME THE LAW GOVERNING HK. THEREFORE, IF THE BASIC LAW WERE TO CONTAIN NO PROVISION ON DIRECT ELECTIONS, OR IF THE NPC WERE NOT TO GIVE ITS NOD EVEN THOUGH SUCH PROVISIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD NOT AGREE TO WHATEVER FORM OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO BE INTRODUCED BY THE BRITISH/HK (GOVERNMENTS) JUST BECAUSE (THESE ELECTIONS) WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONVERGE WITH THE BASIC LAW. NOW SUCH PROPOSAL HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE WHITE PAPER. LI HOU HAS ALREADY EXPRESSED HIS AGREEMENT AND XU JIATUN IS HAPPY AFTER READING IT. ALL THESE INDICATE THAT THEY ARE IN FAVOUR OF DEMOCRACY. IN THIS CASE, THE BRITISH/HK SIDE WILL AGAIN PLAY THE LEADING ROLE IN THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS.
''LAW''
THE CHINESE SIDE, ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, WILL NEED MUCH KNOW-HOW TO SEEK CO-ORDINATION WITH THE WHITE PAPER. IN
2
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED