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065225
MDHIAN 7854
5. LI REFERRED TO THE PROVISION IN THE MOU ABOUT LEAVING HK25 BILLION IN THE RESERVES FOR THE FUTURE SAR. THE CPG WOULD NOT TAKE A PENNY OF THIS. THE FUTURE SAR WOULD HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AND WOULD BE RULED BY HONG KONG PEOPLE. HE THEN WENT ON TO REFER TO THE HIGH SALARIES ENJOYED BY CIVIL SERVANTS IN HONG KONG. THEIR PENSIONS WOULD BE A BURDEN IF THE SARG DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR THEM. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT WANT
THE SARG TO BE IN DIFFICULTIES WHEN IT CAME INTO BEING. (COMMENT: AN OBSCURE POINT BUT POSSIBLY A REFERENCE TO THE RECENTLY REITERATED CHINESE VIEW THAT PENSIONS SHOULD BE FUNDED.) LI ADDED THAT THE PREVIOUS DAY HE HAD SEEN AN ARTICLE IN THE PRESS WHICH DESCRIBED MR PATTEN AS DRESSING UP HONG KONG LIKE A PRETTY GIRL WITH A VIEW TO MARRYING HER OFF. HE WOULD PREPARE A BIG DOWRY FOR HER AND THEN HAND HER OVER TO CHINA. THE AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE HAD SAID THAT THE UK HAD RULED HONG KONG FOR 100 YEARS AND THAT IN THAT TIME BRITAIN HAD GAINED FAR MORE FROM THE TERRITORY THAN THE DOWRY SHE WAS NOW READY TO PAY. LI SAID THAT THIS WAS SOMETHING WHICH HAD APPEARED IN A HONG KONG PAPER, NOT A MAINLAND ONE. I INTERVENED TO SAY THAT WE WERE ALWAYS TELLING THE CHINESE SIDE NOT TO BELIEVE EVERYTHING THEY READ IN THE HONG KONG PRESS.
6. LI NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD BE VISITING CHINA IN OCTOBER. HE HOPED HE WOULD HAVE COMPREHENSIVE EXHCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED. SIR E HEATH SAID HE WAS GLAD THAT LI WAS GOING TO SEE PATTEN (SOMETHING HE HAD NOT IN FACT SAID SPECIFICALLY). HE WAS SURE HE WOULD LIKE HIM. LI, LAUGHING, SAID HE HAD NOT YET MET MR PATTEN AND DID NOT KNOW HIM, BUT HE HAD HEARD HE HAD BEEN A VERY TALENTED ORGANISER OF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY ELECTION VICTORY. SIR E HEATH SAID THIS WAS QUITE TRUE. HE WENT ON TO COMMEND THE GOVERNOR IN WARM TERMS. HE WAS SURE THAT MR PATTEN WANTED TO RETURN HONG KONG TO CHINA IN THE BEST POSSIBLE
CONDITION.
7. LI ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNOR WANTED TO BRING THE BRITISH ELECTION SYSTEM TO HONG KONG. SIR E HEATH SAID HE WAS SURE THAT HE DID NOT. LI SAID THAT PROVIDED THE GOVERNOR ACTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND BASIC LAW HE WOULD RETURN TO BRITAIN WITH HONOUR. SIR E HEATH REPLIED THAT NO ONE WISHED TO BREAK THE JOINT DECLARATION. BUT THERE WERE DIFFERENT WAYS OF CARRYING IT OUT. CHINESE TO DISCUSS WITH MR PATTEN. COULD NOT CHANGE.
MCLAREN
THAT WAS SOMETHING FOR THE
LI REPLIED THAT THE PRINCIPLES
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