COZAHX
BULL POINTS ON HONG KONG
(FOR USE IN THIRD COUNTRIES)
CONFIDENTIAL
1.
Hong Kong's bright prospects
Joint Declaration is binding international agreement,
registered at UN. PRC has not reneged on any international
agreement.
Joint Declaration sets out framework for continuation of Hong
Kong's economic, legal and social systems for at least 50
years beyond 1997.
Joint Declaration and Basic Law (Hong Kong's
"mini-constitution") provide framework for Hong Kong to continue to flourish and develop in future. Meticulously detailed documents which provide real security and certainty
for the future.
No reason why framework laid down for fifty years should not continue long beyond then, as Chinese leaders have indicated. China seeks to learn from Hong Kong and to model certain
economic functions in the mainland on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is economically and politically important to China, economically in terms of foreign exchange earnings and access to managerial and entrepreneurial skills, and politically in terms of a model for, and more importantly a litmus test of Chinese good faith on the "one country, two systems" concept
and thus reunification with Taiwan. Therefore in China's own
interest to preserve Hong Kong as a going concern. Hong Kong is an economic and financial centre linking China to the rest
of the world, benefitting both China and Hong Kong.
China has always had the capacity to intervene decisively in Hong Kong's affairs but has consistently refrained from doing so. The "two systems" policy shows that this pragmatic
attitude still prevails.
CONFIDENTIAL