pa
Kees
ску licy file
12-1251 HONGKONG-CHINA-SINGAPOR
rebukes Singapore
Britai
Ev Vid Stamo
HONG KONG, Dec
Lee conspiracy theory
My hopefield Mr Ricketts HK Mr Danes, FE
Head NAT
Reuter Britain has expressed concern to Singapore after elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew suggested plans f conspiracy more Hong Kong democracy might be part of a Westero
a British source said on Tuesday, smash China's power,
Governor Chris Patten also rejected the Conspiracy theory
saving ne Ong aised by Lee when he visited Hong Kong last week, in their right mind wanted China to suffer the same fate as the Seviet Union.
The source, who declined to be named, said Britain had not who protested formally to Singapore over the remarks from Lee, stepped down as prime minister in 1990 after 31 years as leader,
AFB But he said: You can take it that the Singaporeans aware of our views on what My Lee said during his visit to Hong
was the bit about the Keno. The most worrying aspect international conspiracy,
vear?
Speaking at Hong Kong university. Lee said that Beiling's Communist leadership, shaken by the Soviet Union's collapse last
was obsessed with the idea that the West was using Hong Kong as a battleground in a conspiracy to smash its power,
Great power in the Singapore cabinet Lee, wie still wields as senior minister, waded into a Sino-British row over Hong Kong's political future, saving Beiling was highly unlikely to back down in its campalon ko block Patten's propesals for democratic reform before the British colony returns to China 1.99%.
wrong: Lee sai
in
Without saying whether they were right or the communist leadership believed the United States. fresh from? was out to do the same to China in destroying the Soviet Union,
a plot with other Western nations.
Beijing also felt that if it lost the battle over Hong Kong, U.S. President-elect Bill Clinton could then try to impos✩
he said. Western-style democracy on China,
whare Britain had
The British source declined to say when c expressed its displeasure to Singapore over the remarks.
But he said: That just feeds the Chinese conspiracy theory. When you have a senior figure coming into Hang Kong saying what he did, it obviously raises the profile of the whole question,
In a television interview broadcast on Monday,
that Britain was involved in any plot.
9 J
Patten denied
Nobody in their right mind could want to happen to China
I don't believe that is what has happened in the Soviet Union. going to happen,
♪ a he said. long a staunch anti-communist,
has developed good HIS
relations with the Chinese leadership in recent years. remarks were given blanket coverage by the Singapore media.
which
Some of the elaborations of this so-called plot. involve President Bush presumably knowing that he was going to really do have to be put defeated by President-elect Clinton,
one side.
*
gaid Patten.
C A
Britain wants a good and cooperative relationship with Chine, he told TVB televisien. I hope that Hong Kong, through the way that we handle the government of Hong Kong in the next few years. can contribute to improving the relationship between Britain and China.
But in Beijing's latest blast,
senior Chinese official
accused Patten of bullying and diplomatic fraud.
Lu Ping, the director of China's Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office.
told reporters in Beijing that Hong Kong should have a transition to Chimese rule even if Patten refused to
peaceful
cooperate.
Speciall
Adhirers
HKD 02/97.
I think this bullying is 2 diplomatic fraud. have set 2 trap and let us
+ S as if you
into it,
he saidt,
REUTER DJS DF JR
TOTAL P.01