6 October 1993
Мик
011/2
{
10
USTRY
REGISTRY
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SWIA 2AH
From The Secretary of State
Dear Mr. Lee,
Thank you for your letter of 28 September setting out your views on our policy towards Hong Kong ahead of my meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister.
I used that meeting to make a further serious effort to move the talks on Hong Kong's electoral arrangements forward towards an agreement. But since you thought it right to make a number of sweeping allegations about capitulation and sell-out, let me restate some fundamental points.
First, you imply a difference of view between the British Government and the Governor over democratic development in Hong Kong. There is none. Policy is agreed between the Prime
Minister, myself and the Governor who in turn consults his
Executive Council.
Second, you refer to the British Government's "shifting
bottom line". I do not understand what you mean. We have said from the outset that our objective is elections which are open, fair and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. That is still our position, and it will remain so. In the course of the talks, the British side have put forward revised proposals in an effort to bridge the gap and reach agreement. These have been and remain conditional on agreement on acceptable criteria for the through train. I find it hard to imagine that many people in Hong Kong would think it a sensible approach to go into a negotiation without any flexibility of any kind. But it is ridiculous to suggest that by entering into negotiation we
Mr Martin Lee QC
།
Page 30Page 31