UNCLASSIFIED
MDHI
010740
1401
TO BE PROUD ABOUT'' IN THEIR PASSING OF HONG KONG FROM ONE FOREIGN RULER TO ANOTHER AND ASKED WHY THE UK HAD OVERLOOKED THE PRINCIPLE OF SELF DETERMINATION. BETHELL ARGUED THAT, BEFORE 1977, IT WAS ESSENTIAL THAT HONG KONG BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO ELECT LEADERS BY UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE. HE THOUGHT THE ASSURANCES OF THE CHINESE DUBIOUS.
5.
SCHMIDHUBER (COMMISSION) SAID THE COMMISSION WERE CONVINCED THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE SUSTAINED AS A SPECIAL, AUTONOMOUS REGION AFTER 1997. HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION CRITERIA WOULD BE MET. THE COMMISSION, HE ADDED, HOPED TO OPEN A MISSION IN HONG KONG BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, A CLEAR SIGNAL OF THE IMPORTANCE THEY ATTACHED TO FUTURE RELATIONS WITH THE COLONY.
6.
KERR
TEXT OF RESOLUTION BY FAX TO FCO AND HONG KONG.
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
266
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.ECD (E) [-]
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