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WITH THE SAME EFFECT.
THERE IS THE FURTHER DANGER THAT THE MORE THE CHINESE COMMIT THEMSELVES IN PUBLIC, THE MURE DIFFICULT IT WILL BECOME FOR THEN TO REACH AGREEMENT WITH US.
4.
PRESSURE OVER TIMING ALSO RESULTS FROM THE STATEMENTS THAT THE CHINESE ARE MAKING ON THE NATIONALITY ISSUE. I ASSESS THAT AT LEAST PART OF THE RATIONALE OF THESE STATEMENTS IS TO PRESSURE US FURTHER OVER AGREEMENT ON POLITICAL STRUCTURE. AT PRESENT THESE STATEMENTS ARE NOT (NOT) IRREVOCABLE, AND THERE REMAINS SOME HOPE THAT WE CAN STILL PERSUADE THE CHINESE TO ADOPT A MORE PRAGMATIC APPROACH. HOWEVER, WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS UNLESS AND UNTIL WE HAVE REACHED SOME AGREEMENT ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE. THE MORE WE DELAY A DECISION ON THE LATTER, THE MORE CHINESE STATEMENTS ARE GOING TO DAMAGE CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, THUS INCREASING THE PRESSURE ON US OVER POLITICAL STRUCTURE, AND THE GREATER THE DANGER THAT THE CHINESE WILL COMMIT THEMSELVES TO POSITIONS FROM WHICH THEY CANNOT LATER WITHDRAW. IT SHOULD BE BORNE IN MIND THAT THIS IS ALSO AN AREA WE NEED TO TACKLE WITH THE CHINESE BEFORE THE PROMULGATION OF THE BL.
5.
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