SECRET
98
174.
Alas, we have still not succeeded in convincing
Chinese officials that Hong Kong's extraordinarily modest
aspirations
for
political development are legitimate, that
they deserve to be met, that they are part of the natural
evolution of an increasingly mature and sophisticated
society; and that they are, in a sense, a condition of our
international trading
continuing
community.
Bucces8
ав
a great
These aspirations pose no threat to China now,
nor in the future. Indeed, the concept of "one country, two
systems" should accommodate them comfortably.
175.
The argument,
as I have said, is not about whether
We should accelerate the
though many of you think
that we
should.
The argument
pace of democracy in Hong Kong,
perhaps understandably
turns on whether the agreed steps
towards democracy will
will give the people of Hong Kong a real
opportunity to
choose, and on whether those steps are
credible or not.
176.
In order
to try to win agreement, we have
as you
will have observed been prepared to make substantial moves
in Our talks with China to take account of Chinese
I will leave it to the Chinese side to say how
concerns.
far they have been prepared to move.
177.
agreement.
Wc will go on working as hard as we can for an
We believe it should be possible to reach an
accord that meets the concerns of both sides. But we are
ONET