CONFIDENTIAL
TO DESKBY 19100OZ FOO
FM HONG KONG
TELNO 798
REC
OF 190924Z MAY 1993 IN
CONFIDENTIAL
120/1 HID
18 MAY 1993
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do
TOP COPY Q DIST?
067705
MDHIAN 1451
1915
MIPT: VISIT BY MR GOODLAD 29 MAY 1 JUNE: MOOD OF THE COMMUNITY
SUMMARY
SINCE THE MINISTER OF STATE'S LAST VISIT IN SEPTEMBER 1992, THE COMMUNITY HAS WEATHERED MUCH TURBULENCE OVER THE ISSUE OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. POLL EVIDENCE POINTS TO A FIRM BEDROCK OF PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR HKG IN SPITE OF RELENTLESS CPG HECTORING. BUT AS EVER, HONG KONG WANTS TO HAVE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE WITHOUT FURTHER CONFRONTATION WITH THE CPG. AT THE SAME TIME, THE COMMUNITY DISPLAYS AN INCREASING ABILITY TO TAKE A BALANCED VIEW OF CPG PRESSURES IN OTHER AREAS. THE RESILIENCE OF THE COMMUNITY'S MOOD OWES A GREAT DEAL TO THE QUALITY OF THE TERRITORY'S ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE.
PUBLIC CONFIDENCE: STANDING FIRM
2. SINCE I INTRODUCED MY CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS ON OCTOBER 7, PEKING HAS USED EVERY WEAPON IN ITS CONSIDERABLE PROPAGANDA ARSENAL TO DISCREDIT BOTH THE PACKAGE AND ITS AUTHOR. INEVITABLY, ITS PROPAGANDA BARRAGES HAVE BEEN FOLLOWED BY EBBS AND FLOWS IN THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY BACKING FOR HKG AS MEASURED BY
PUBLIC OPINION POLLS.
3. ON BALANCE, HOWEVER, THROUGHOUT THE STRUGGLE WITH THE CPG OVER HONG KONG'S RIGHT TO SHAPE ITS OWN ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS, A BEDROCK OF SUPPORT HAS REMAINED FIRM NO MATTER WHAT THE BULLYING FROM PEKING. TO DATE, OPPOSITION TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE HAS NEVER RISEN ABOVE 21 PER CENT IN OPINION POLLS. SIMILARLY, THE APPROVAL RATING FOR MY OWN PERFORMANCE HAS STAYED STUBBORNLY ABOVE 53 PER CENT.
4. NEVERTHELESS, THE COMMUNITY REMAINS IN TWO MINDS ABOUT HOW BEST TO PROCEED. THERE IS THE USUAL ANXIETY THAT NEW CONFRONTATIONS WITH THE CPG MIGHT THREATEN NOT ONLY A LEGCO
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