CONFIDENTIAL
163572
MDTTAN 7220
SENATOR EVANS/QIAN QICHEN
4. Senator Evans referred to his interest in Hong Kong, asked about progress of the talks with the British and hoped that China could find a working solution to allow a more representative Legco. This did not need to be anything to make the PRC nervous.
Qian said Australia should not worry about Hong Kong. The question must be resolved and Hong Kong's stability and prosperity preserved. Prime Minister Major had written to Li Peng. Qian hoped the talks would make progress.
This could be possible if the British showed "sincerity". Senator Evans pointedly asked what sort of sincerity was needed that had not already been shown. Qian said that the British were not strictly respecting the Joint Declaration. Senator Evans said that both he and Qian knew that nothing in the Patten proposals ran counter to the JD. They amounted to just a "modest brand of democracy" about which China should be relaxed. Qian replied that Prime Minister Major had initially said that the issue was not a matter of democracy, but he had now changed his attitude. In the past, when the British should have tried to develop democracy, they had taken the attitude that "The Queen should rule everything". It was now too late. Senator Evans said it was not too late for China to make small gestures to help Hong Kong's confidence. Qian replied dismissively that this was
unnecessary.
SENATOR EVANS/LIU HUAQIU
5.
Tweddell also told me that Senator Evans had been robust during a meeting on 10 December with Vice Minister Liu Huaqiu, in Canberra Leading a team for political talks. Senator Evans had told Liu that he could not understand why the Chinese were engaging in so much shadow boxing over the Governor's proposals. Liu had echoed the line that the discussions were not about democracy. Britain had administered Hong Kong without democracy for 150 years. British action affected the JD. If there were no agreement, the sole responsibility would be Britain's. The British had lacked any sincerity, but the Chinese had made a big effort. If Britain persisted in its stubborn manner, China would introduce a "new kitchen", a new beginning which would be fully in accordance with the principles of the JD and BL. Britain had a bad record in decolonisation, as Liu had seen for himself while in Ghana. The British tried to foster sympathetic political elements and left huge debts in the wake of their departure. Senator Evans asked why China was bothered when there was little enduring British influence in their former colonies. He pointed out that recent opinion polls
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