6 October 1992
IN CONFIDENCE
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SW1A 2AH
From The Secretary of State
Dear Colleayne,
HONG KONG:
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Chris Patten will be making a wide-ranging policy
speech to Hong Kong's Legislative Council on 7 October. I
wanted to let you know in confidence of the main points he
will be making on constitutional issues in advance of the
speech.
Hong Kong has changed rapidly in recent years. There
is now much more political awareness. Hong Kong's
political system has already evolved a long way in the
direction of democracy. In considering the next steps in
that evolution, Chris Patten has canvassed views on all
sides, but particularly among the people of Hong Kong.
They must make the system work, and live with the
consequences. His conclusion, which the Government
endorse, is that changes are now needed:
for effective and accountable government;
- to make the electoral system more democratic and fair;
and
- to maximise the chances of continuity through 1997 by
exploiting to the full the flexibility available within
the Basic Law.
IN CONFIDENCE