democracy in Hong Kong.
to achieve that.
We are open to discussions about how
It will be for the Legislative Council to enact the necessary legislation. They will need to do so by the end of their
present session in July, if the elections are to be held on time. We have said that we will accept their judgement, provided that it is consistent with our international obligations: we are not willing to press the people of Hong Kong to go further than they wish, nor to deny them the scope for greater democracy consistent with the Basic Law and the
Joint Declaration. The key point is that the electoral arrangements in Hong Kong should be fair, open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.
It is disappointing to see that China has responded to the publication of the Governor's proposals with a further round of threats. That is not the way to resolve the differences between us. China has both interests and responsibilities as the future sovereign power. We will continue to work calmly for cooperation with China to ensure the future success of
Hong Kong. I look forward to your support. I
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DOUGLAS HURD