UNCLASSIFIED
050411
MDLIAN 4884
SMOOTH TRANSITION. HE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING HE WAS HAPPY TO LEARN FROM MEDIA REPORTS THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS WILLING TO DISCUSS CONVERGENCE QUESTIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. MR.LIU SAID THE CHINESE SIDE HOPED THERE COULD BE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND THE LESS CHANGES THERE WERE TO BE THE BETTER. THIS WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INTERESTS OF BOTH SIDES. HE REFUTED THAT CHINA WAS NOT IN SUPPORT OF INTRODUCING DEMOCRACY IN HK AND SAID THE METHOD AS SET DOWN IN THE BL TO INTRODUCE DEMOCRACY AT A GRADUAL PACE IN HK AFTER 1997 WAS REASONABLE.
10.
PAPERS NOTED (5.1 1) THAT THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE HAD
INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA A DISCUSSION OF THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL
PACKAGE. PAPERS QUOTED (9.11) FORMER HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR LI HOU
AT THE MEETING AS WARNING THE GOVERNOR 'NOT TO THROW A STONE ON HIS OWN TOES'. MR.LI SAID SINCE THE SIGNING OF THE JD IN 1984, CO-OPERATION BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN OVER HK ISSUES WAS GENERALLY GOOD. THE PRESENT PUBLIC DEBATE WAS A BACKWARD STEP IN
THIS RELATIONSHIP. IF THE GOVERNOR ATTACHED IMPORTANCE TO HK'S INTERESTS THEN HE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE TRACK OF THE JD AND
PREVIOUS SINO-BRITISH UNDERSTANDING AND SHOULD NOT ADOPT A CONFRONTATIONAL STANCE. IT WAS NOTED ANOTHER FORMER BL DRAFTER, WU DAKUN, DESCRIBED THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS AS A POLITICAL GAMBLE WHICH WOULD LOSE. A THIRD DRAFTER, FU HOU, SAID THE GOVERNOR HAD VIOLATED THE JD AND THAT THE AUTHORITY TO
INTERPRET THE BL RESTED WITH THE NPC AND NOT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
11.
·
AN ARTICLE IN THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF THE PRO CHINA 'MIRROR'
MAGAZINE CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR AS USING HK AS A STEPPING STONE
IN HIS OWN POLITICAL CAREER. IT SAID THE POLITICAL PACKAGE WAS
NOT THE GOVERNOR'S IDEA ALONE BUT REFLECTED A CHANGE IN BRITISH
POLICY TOWARDS HK. THE ARTICLE NOTED THAT IN THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS, THERE WAS NOT MENTION OF IMPROVEMENT IN DEVELOPING SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS NOR CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL.
IT SAID THE POLITICAL CHANGES PROPOSED WERE IN BREACH OF BL 68
WHICH SAID PROGRESS SHOULD BE GRADUAL AND ORDERLY: THE EMPOWERING
OF THE DB MEMBERS TO RETURN LEGCO WAS IN BREACH OF BL 97 WHICH
SAID THAT DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS WERE NOT ORGANS OF POLITICAL
POWER: THE CHANGE IN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCY ELECTIONS RAN
COUNTER TO DEFINITIONS IN THE 1984 WHITE PAPER ON REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT.
A NUMBER OF PAPERS PICKED UP (9.11) THE CS'S ARTICLE IN THE
SUNDAY POST IN WHICH HE SAID THAT IF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND
12.