ALTHOUGH THE PROPOSALS THEMSELVES ARE NOT TOTALLY DEMOCRATIC THEY ARE VERY MODEST IN THEIR EFFECT AND WHAT HAS SURPRISED ME HAS BEEN THE INTENSITY OF THE OPPOSITION FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.. NOW I THINK, MY OWN PERSONAL ASSESSMENT IS, THAT THIS IS NOT TO DO WITH THE SPECIFICS OF THE PROPOSALS, I THINK IT IS TO DO WITH POWER, AND IT IS TO DO WITH ATTITUDES TOWARDS WHO MIGHT BE OR MIGHT NOT BE ELECTED ON A WIDER FRANCHISE FOR LECCO IN THE NEXT ELECTIONS IN 1995. AND THAT DOES CONCERN ME BECAUSE IT RAISES ISSUES ABOUT WHAT WILL BE THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN THE FUTURE AFTER THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. AND I BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A VERY CLEAR MESSAGE FROM ALL OF US INTERNATIONALLY TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA THAT WE WILL BE WATCHING VERY CLOSELY IN TERMS OF THE STANDARDS OF FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, RIGHTS OF INDIVIDUALS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION, AND THAT ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS IS NOT JUST ABOUT ECONOMICS, IT IS ALSO ABOUT THE LIBERTIES AND THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH OVER THE PERIOD OF THE FIFTY YEARS SHOULD BE RESPECTED IN REALITY AND NOT JUST IN WORDS.
MR HOWELL:
I WILL HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
QUESTION (THE TIMES):
ONE GENERAL QUESTION. ASIDE FROM THE FACT THAT BOTH SIDES WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT, SUPPOSEDLY, THAT IS THEIR COMMON GROUND THAT BOTH SIDES WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A STABLE HONG KONG, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYBODY IN THE COMMITTEE WHO SAW ANY COMMON GROUND AT ALL IN ANY OF THESE MATTERS OF DETAIL BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES?
I
AND THE OTHER THING IS, THAT IF THE DETAIL IS VERY IMPORTANT, AM NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN'T BE TOLD WHAT ZHOU NAN SAID. I MEAN IF YOU ALL FEEL THAT A PART OF YOUR VISIT TO PEKING WAS ONE IN WHICH YOU HAD A LOT OF GENERALITIES BUT MR ZHOU NAN HIMSELF ACTUALLY SAID SOMETHING IN DETAIL, IT SEEMS TO ME WE AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW WHAT IT IS PRECISELY THAT THE CHINESE OBJECTION IS.
MR HOWELL:
WELL, ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THIS COMMITTEE HAS WHEN WE GO TO SEE MINISTERS ARE USUALLY ON THE SAME BASIS WHICH IS THAT THINGS ARE DISCUSSED AND IT IS THEN AGREED AFTERWARDS WHICH PART SHOULD BE FORMAL AND WHICH PART SHOULD BE INFORMAL. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING VERY NEW AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WOULD LEAVE THAT IMPRESSION ANYTHING VERY NEW TO US WAS SAID BY MR ZHOU NAN HERE, BECAUSE WE HAD HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH ME LU PING IN BEIJING WHO HAD ALSU ADUKESSED SÚME RATHER SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT ACPCOTE OF THE DETAIL OF WHY THE CHINESE BELIEVE THAT THE PATTEN PROPOSALS CONTRAVENE THE BASIC LAW. SO EACH TIME WE ASK THESE QUESTIONS WE THEN RECEIVE A VIEW, A DETAILED VIEW, WHICH HELPS BUILD UP IN OUR MINDS AND CLARIFIES FOR US A PICTURE OF WHAT IT IS THAT IS BUGGING THEM. NOW I SUSPECT ALL THESE THINGS ARE KNOWN TO YOU ALREADY, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY GREAT SECRETS HERE, BUT THESE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE BUGGING THEM.
8