CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
HKB 011 17 Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
:CE!
TO DESKBY 01120OZ FCO
TELNO 2906
1990
OF 011104Z OCTOBER 9090
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREPI JLG HONG KONG
104600 MDHIAN 2574
PERSONAL FOR PAUL FROM GOVERNOR
MIPT: MY ADDRESS TO LEGCO: HONG KONG/CHINA RELATIONS
BEGINS:
HONG KONG'S PLACE IN THE WORLD
(A) HONG KONG AND CHINA
94. THE AMBITIOUS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROGRAMMES WHICH I HAVE DESCRIBED ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. IN OUR EVOLVING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, THERE ARE STILL, INEVITABLY, STRESSES AND STRAINS, WHICH CAN ONLY BE OVERCOME BY MUTUAL EFFORT AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING. ONE THING IS CLEAR. A CONSTRUCTIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS FUNDAMENTAL TO THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG, BOTH BEFORE 1997 AND AFTER. NEGLECTING THIS TRUTH, OR MAKING NO ATTEMPT TO FOSTER SUCH A RELATIONSHIP, WOULD DO NO SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
Make
95. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE THEREFORE TRIED OVER THE PAST YEAR TO DISPEL MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND TO IMPROVE OUR WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH PEKING. MY OWN VISIT TO PEKING IN JANUARY WAS PART OF THIS PROCESS. MR MAUDES'S
VISIT IN JULY PROVIDED A FURTHER VALUABLE OPPORTUNITY FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH SENIOR CHINESE LEADERS.
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96. WE HAVE TRIED TO CONVINCE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT ACTIONS
TAKEN OVER THE PAST YEAR ABOUT WHICH THEY HAVE EXPRESSED DOUBT - FOR INSTANCE, THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS · HAVE BEEN PART OF A
SINCERE EFFORT TO BOLSTER HONG KONG SO THAT IT WILL HAVE THE
STRENGTH TO PROSPER AS A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION AFTER 1997. SIMILARLY THAT MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURAL PLANS, SUCH AS THE BUILDING OF THE NEW AIRPORT AND THE EXPANSION OF THE PORT, ARE
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