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156502 MDLIAN 7792
DRAFT. LITTLE FURTHER SERIOUS DEBATE WAS EXPECTED IN HONG KONG ON THE SECOND DRAFT. BUT THERE WERE STILL WIDE DIFFERENCES ON THE ISSUE OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE OF THE FUTURE SAR. DANIEL TSE SPOKE OF A GENERAL FEELING THAT, WHILE THERE SHOULD EVENTUALLY BE A HONG KONG-BASED DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT TO IMPRESS HONG KONG VIEWS UPON THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WERE KEEN TO AVOID TOO MUCH CONFRONTATION WITH THE CHINESE. HE HOPED THAT HMG WOULD TRY TO ENSURE THAT CHINESE LEADERS DID NOT OVER-REACT TO THE EXTREMIST ACTIVITY OF A FEW IN HONG KONG, EG THE RECENT HUNGER STRIKERS. LORD GLENARTHUR AGREED THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO WORK AT THESE ISSUES PATIENTLY BEHIND THE SCENES RATHER THAN FOR THE PROFILE OF OUR EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE TO BE RAISED IN AN UNHELPFUL WAY.
8. LYDIA DUNN SPOKE OF A GROWING SENSE OF MATURITY IN THE POLITICAL SCENE IN HONG KONG, EVEN AMONG THE LIBERALS. POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS
WERE CURRENTLY GROUPING AND RE-GROUPING: BUT THERE WAS NO REAL ENTHUSIAM IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THIS PROCESS. SOME ANTI-GOVERNMENT FEELING HAD BEEN STIRRED UP BY THE PRESS AND BY AMBITIOUS
POLITICIANS. ALLEN LEE AGREED THAT THE ATMOSPHERE IN LEGCO HAD CHANGED TO A MORE ISSUE-ORIENTATED AND MATURE ONE. THERE WAS NOW LESS INTEREST IN MAKING PUBLIC NOISE FOR ITS OWN SAKE. THIS WAS MAKING WORKING RELATIONSHIPS BETTER. POLITICAL GROUPINGS WERE PREPARING THEMSELVES FOR 1991. BUT WESTERN-STYLE CONFRONTATIONAL PARTY POLITICS WOULD NOT COME TO HONG KONG IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THE MAIN ROLE WAS BEING PLAYED BY INTEREST GROUPS. THE POLITICAL APATHY OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS BEING SHOWN BY SMALL TURN-OUTS FOR
MEETINGS.
UK PROFILE
9.
WILLIAM PURVES SAID THAT POSITIVE ACTION BY BRITAIN WAS NEEDED TO COUNTERACT THE BAD IMPRESSION OF ISSUES SUCH AS THE RESPONSE ON VBPS. THIS POSITIVE RESPONSE COUD COME IN THE BUSINESS FIELD, FOR EXAMPLE THROUGH INCREASING THE VISIBILITY OF BRITISH BUSINESS IN HONG KONG. THE BUSINESS WORLD WAS PLEASED THAT THE POST OF SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSIONER HAD BEEN UPGRADED. IT WOULD BE NECESSARY SOON TO MAKE CLEAR THAT BRITAIN WAS INTENDING TO ESTABLISH A SUBSTANTIAL REPRESENTATION POST-1997. OTHER COUNTRIES WERE FAR MORE VISIBLE. HE REFERRED ALSO TO PRESS REPORTS THAT PORTUGAL WOULD BEGIN SOON TO ISSUE PASSPORTS TO SOME PEOPLE IN MACAO. LORD GLENARTHUR AGREED THAT THE SCALE OF OUR BUSINESS PRESENCE WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. HE REFERRED TO THE LAUNCH OF THE ANGLO-HONG KONG TRUST, WHICH HAD HMG'S BLESSING.
BUT WE COULD NOT
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