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002717 MDLIAN 4735
UNDERSTANDING THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN THE 1990S.
BUT
A TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY WAS WHETHER THE WHITE PAPER SHOULD CLEARLY STIPULATE THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1991. K.C. TSANG OF A CONSULTANCY FIRM, SAID THAT ALTHOUGH SIR GEOFFREY SUGGESTED THAT THE WHITE PAPER SHOULD SET A TIMETABLE FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF DIRECT POLLS, THERE WERE OTHER INDICATIONS THAT THE WHITE PAPER HAD YET TO BE FINALISED. A POLITICAL ANALYST, WHO WAS NOT NAMED, SAW SIR GEOFFREY'S REMARKS ON A TIMETABLE FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS AS A ''TRIAL BALLOON'' TO TEST CHINA'S RESPONSE.
8.
REACTION IN THE UK WAS ALSO REPORTED IN THE HK MEDIA. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH RADIO-3 BOB HUGHES CRITICISED HIS FELLOW MPS OVER THE CONDUCT OF THE COMMONS DEBATE ON HK, AND DESCRIBED AS OUTRAGIOUS THE ACCUSATIONS MADE AGAINST MARTIN LEE DURING THE DEBATE. HE ALSO WARNED THAT UNLESS THERE WAS A CLEAR COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY IN THE WHITE PAPER, A REAL DANGER OF A BIG INCREASE IN EMIGRATION AMONG THE MIDDLE CLASS IN HK WOULD ARISE. GEORGE FOULKES SAID HE WELCOMED THE MOVE TO ANNOUNCE A TIMETABLE. LORD MACLEHOSE AGREED THAT THE LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING OF HK AFFAIRS AMONG MPS WAS HIGH. RADIO-3 ALSO REPORTED THAT THE WAY THE HK DEBATE WAS HELD WAS CRITICISED IN SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS IN BRITAIN AND THAT THERE WAS A GENERAL FEELING THAT THE ISSUE HAD NOT BEEN TREATED WITH A PASSION IT DESERVED. THE STATION'S LONDON CORRESPONDENT, MICHAEL PESCHARDT, SAID THAT THE DEBATE HAD NOT MADE FRONT-PAGE NEWS IN BRITAIN BUT AN ACCOUNT OF THE DISCUSSIONS WAS CARRIED IN ALMOST ALL THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS. AND ACCORDING TO THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL, SEVERAL MAJOR BRITISH NEWSPAPERS CARRIED ARTICLES ON THE BRITISH STAND TOWARDS HK BEFORE THE COMMONS DEBATE WAS HELD. SCMP REPORTED THAT EDWARD HEATH WOULD VISIT HK DURING THE WEEK THE WHITE PAPER WOULD BE RELEASED. SIGN TAO JIH PAO'S LONDON CORRESPONDENT QUOTED HEATH AS SAYING THROUGH HIS ASSISTANT THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1988 SHOULD NOT BE RULED OUT NOW. TOGETHER WITH GEORGE FOULKES HEATH SAID THE TIME FOR THE DEBATE WAS TOO SHORT. BOTH OF THEM REGRETTED THAT MARTIN LEE WAS CRITICISED BY SOME MEMBERS IN THE DEBATE.
9. MOST OF THE LEADING PAPERS RAN EDITORIALS ON THE DEBATE. THEY GENERALLY FELT THAT MPS NOW HAD A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SITUATION IN HK AND OF HK PEOPLE'S WISHES.
10. MING PAO SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE SPEECHES OF THE MPS CONTAINED NOTHING NEW, THEIR GROWING INTEREST IN HK SHOULD BE NOTED. THE HEATED DEBATE SHOWED THAT THEY NOW ADOPTED A MORE CRITICAL ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE WORK DONE BY THE FCO INSTEAD OF ACCEPTING ALL THEY WERE TOLD. THIS WOULD BENEFIT THE MONITORING ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
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