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Commission representatives in advance, and made the maximum capital
out of the criticisms voiced by one member of the Commission.
The whole affair was given quite disproportionate publicity in Hong
Kong.
4. The Foreign Affairs Committee would come under still stronger
pressure. The taking of evidence would receive maximum publicity in Hong Kong, and would cause some difficulties for us given the confidential nature of our exchanges with the Chinese over
Hong Kong. The report could give rise to major political
difficulties if it were to include recommendations (for example on
the development of representative government in Hong Kong) which
were inconsistent with the provisions of the draft Basic Law or the
understandings which we had reached with the Chinese Government.
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