Draft letter from the Prime Minister
Mr Robert Adley, M.P.
House of Commons
London SWLA OAA
Thank you for your letter of 23 April.
I am surprised that you doubt the wish of the Hong Kong
people to have a greater say in the running of Hong Kong,
since that is a matter of common ground between us and the
Chinese Government. Both the Joint Declaration and the Basic
Law rightly have Deng Xiaoping's idea of Hong Kong people
running Hong Kong' as a lynchpin. Indeed the Basic Law
itself provides for greater democracy in Hong Kong. So there
is no argument between us on this point of principle.
Our concern, as you know, is that the arrangements for the
last elections under British sovereignty should be fair, open
and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. We believe, as I
said in my earlier letter, that Chris Patten's proposals are
the best way of achieving this. They continue to enjoy very considerable support in Hong Kong. But we have always made clear that they are proposals and that we are keen to discuss
them with the Chinese side, together with any ideas that they might have. Those discussions are now proceeding.
I very
much hope that we will be able to bring them to a successful
conclusion.