1992-12-04 19:12 COMMS OFFICE (GOVT HOUSE)
852 526 0995 P.28
SHORT SUPPLY AT THE MOMENT AND WE'VE SEEN A VERY GREAT DETERIORATION
OF RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG AND CHINA AND BRITAIN.
HOW DO YOU AIM TO RESTORE OR BUILD TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING AND, ARE
YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING FOR YOUR POLITICAL
REFORM PACKAGE?
GOVERNOR: I SUSPECT THAT IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO AGREE
ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS WHICH WERE REGARDED AS WIDELY
I SUSPECT IF THERE ACCEPTABLE TO PEKING, TO LONDON AND TO HONG KONG.
HADN'T BEEN A PROBLEM IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
TACKLED SUCCESSFULLY AND BEFORE JULY THIS YEAR.
WHAT I DON'T THINK
UNDERSTANDING WITH ANYONE
WOULD BE AN ACCEPTABLE BASIS FOR TRUST AND
WAS IF THE PRICE THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG HAD TO PAY WAS
SACRIFICING THE TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT WHAT I HAVE TO SEEK TO DO IS TO RECONCILE THE
TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE PEOPLE Of hong kONG WITH A BETTER
WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH PEKING AND CHINESE OFFICIALS AND I VERY MUCH
HOPE THAT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THESE PERHAPS INEVITABLY CHOPPY WATERS
WE'LL FIND THAT THERE IS SMOOTHER SAILING THE OTHER SIDE, BUT UNLESS
ONE WAS TO RUN THE RISK OF SACRIFICING TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING IN HONG
KONG I SUSPECT THAT ONE WAS GOING TO FIND ONESELF WITH AN ARGUMENT
SIMILAR TO THIS SOME TIME OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS WHENEVER
ADDRESSED THE PROBLEM OF HOW BEST TO ORGANISE THE 1995 ELECTIONS.
ONE
HOWARD YOUNG: SIR, BEFORE I ASK MY QUESTION I WOULD JUST LIKE TO
MENTION THAT YOUR QUESTION DIRECTED TO MY COLLEAGUE IN CRC, HONOURABLE
EDWARD HO, ON YOUR PACKAGE AND THE BASIC LAW, I DID MENTION TO YOU MY
VIEWS ON THE 13TH OF OCTOBER WHEN WE SPOKE PRIVATELY AND ALSO 14TH AND
22ND OCTOBER AND THEN CULMINATING ON THE 5TH NOVEMBER IN A LETTER
TO
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