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But China's attitude towards Hong Kong after 1997 was spelled out recently
by Deng Xiaoping during his much publicized visit to southern China early
this year.
He said:
"One should by no means take for granted that the administration of Hong
Kong will be relaxed" after 1997, "that Hong Kong will be entirely run by
Hong Kong people because China will leave everything to them and that, in
this way, all will be fine."
He explained: "If the Central Government had no hand in the concrete
affairs of the Special Administrative Region, what if something
detrimental to the country's fundamental interests happens? What can be
done then? For this reason, the Central Government must have some power
in hand over the region and put an army there."
It is, therefore, unsafe to assume that closer economic integration and
cooperation between Hong Kong and Guangdong will, in itself, eliminate the
risk of political interference by Beijing. The Central Government is
suspicious of separatist tendencies in Guangdong province and the
development of closer ties between Hong Kong and Guangdong may fuel such
suspicions.
So what does Hong Kong have to fear from China?
Intererran
The answer, in a word, is instability.
interperfatio.
Political instability has been
11th augher that was that Ch.
China's curse for well over a century. British sovereignty provided a
buffer for Hong Kong but, come 1997, that buffer will be removed. Only
und to four from HK.)