CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 21090OZ FCO
TELNO 1925
OF 210759Z JULY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Nothing remarkable
метел
037235
MDHIAN 2013
pr. R. Constitutional Development
HKB 012/3
MY FIRST TEN DAYS- IMPRESSIONS
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1. PLAINLY IT IS TOO EARLY FOR ME TO SET OUT MY THOUGHTS IN ANY PROFOUND OR COMPREHENSIVE WAY. THE MOOD TELEGRAM (SEE MIPT) GIVES A VERY GOOD ACCOUNT OF THE BACKDROP TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT. ITS RELATIVELY BULLISH TONE MAY REFLECT JUST HOW FAR HONG
KONG HAS TRAVELLED IN THE LAST YEAR.
2. MY OWN PERSONAL REACTION IS THAT, TO USE AN OLD METAPHOR, HONG KONG IS A TALE OF TWO CITIES - THE ECONOMIC CITY ON THE ONE HAND, AND THE POLITICAL CITY ON THE OTHER. LEFT TO ITS OWN DEVICES, THE ECONOMIC CITY STRIDES FORWARD APACE WITH RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN SHENZHEN, GUANGDONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA AMPLE EVIDENCE OF THAT. BUT THERE IS ALSO THE POLITICAL CITY AND POLITICAL COMMUNITY, WHERE COMPLICATIONS AND DIFFICULTIES ABOUND. THERE IS AN INCREASING FEELING THAT CHINA IS CALLING THE SHOTS, WITH THE CRC FOR EXAMPLE TRANSFORMING THEMSELVES AT BREAK-NECK SPEED INTO PEKING'S PARTY.
3. SOME OF THE MOST INTRACTABLE ISSUES ARE TO BE FOUND AT THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN ECONOMICS AND POLITICS. THE AIRPORT IS ONE OF THEM. ALL THE PROBLEMS ON THE AIRPORT QUA AIRPORT ARE SOLUBLE. BUT THE AIRPORT IS AN ECONOMIC ISSUE THAT HAS BECOME POLITICISED.
Noz in oun hands.
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4. MY OWN VIEW IS THAT WE HAVE TO AVOID POLITICISING ISSUES WHERE WE CAN WHICH MEANS STAYING AS COOL AS WE CAN ABOUT THE AIRPORT, FOR EXAMPLE. WHILE TRYING TO GET THE POLITICAL AGENDA AND OUR VIEWS ON IT SORTED OUT AS SPEEDILY AS POSSIBLE. I HOPE TO DO THIS
IN MY LEGCO SPEECH ON 7 OCTOBER. THIS WILL REQUIRE DECISIONS BEFORE THEN ON THE ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF EXCO, ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH LEGCO, THE COMPOSITION OF EXCO AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS. I AM DAILY MORE CONVINCED OF THE NEED TO UNVEIL ALL ? THIS AS A PACKAGE.
5. THIS WEEK I HAVE EMBARKED UPON THE PROCESS OF CONSULTING THE POLITICAL GROUPS, AND HOPE BY THE TIME OF YOUR ARRIVAL TO HAVE
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