5
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1987
THE SURVEY OFFICE, WHICH WAS COLLECTING OPINIONS ON THIS, CLOSED AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE REPORT IS BEING PREPARED
NOW. IT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC ON THE FOURTH OF NOVEMBER. I EXPECT TO SEE IT SHORTLY BEFORE THAT, BUT PRECISELY THE SAME REPORT AS I RECEIVE WILL BE MADE PUBLIC IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THAT
I CAN'T, THEREFORE, AT THE MOMENT, GUESS OR ESTIMATE WHAT SURVEY WILL SHOW. BUT I THINK IT'S CLEAR ALREADY THAT THERE IS GREAT INTEREST IN THE SUBECT OF A DIRECTLY ELECTED ELEMENT то THE LEGISLATURE. IT IS CLEAR, IN GENERAL, THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS DIVIDED VIEWS ABOUT WHEN THAT SHOULD BE FIRST BROUGHT IN.
WHAT IS NOT CLEAR, AND WHAT IS CLEARLY, WHAT IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT POLITICAL FACTOR FOR US, IS JUST HOW DO THOSE VIEWS BREAK DOWN. WE WILL ONLY KNOW THAT AND WE WILL, THEREFORE, ONLY KNOW THE PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH WE MUST TAKE OUR DECISIONS, WHEN WE GET THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT LATER THIS MONTH, AND WHEN IT'S MADE PUBLIC, EARLY NEXT MONTH.
MR MOLLISON: DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU'RE TAKING THE VIEWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA INTO ACCOUNT?
SIR DAVID: THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA 13, AT THE MOMENT, DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW. THE BASIC LAW IS THE DOCUMENT WHICH WILL ESTABLISH THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997. IT WILL, PRESUMABLY, LAY DOWN SOMETHING ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THE LEGISLATURE IS TO BE COMPOSED. WE DON'T KNOW PRECISELY YET HOW IT WILL DO THAT. WE SHOULD GET AN INDICATION WHEN THE FIRST DRAFT OF THAT BASIC LAW COMES OUT EARLY NEXT YEAR.
WE, IN HONG KONG, IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, HAVE SAID THAT WE WILL TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE REVIEW EXERCISE WHICH WE'RE NOW CARRYING OUT, WHEN WE TAKE DECISIONS ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTIONS, AND WHEN WE WRITE THOSE DECISIONS INTO A WHITE PAPER WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED PROBABLY IN THE EARLY PART OF FEBRUARY, NEXT YEAR.
MR MOLLISON: WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LONG-TERM AGREEMENT, TWO PEOPLE HAVE RAISED FUTURE POSSIBILITIES. ONE OF THEM IS, "ARE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FRIGHTENED WHEN THEY SEE A CRACKDOWN BY THE CHINESE IN TIBET? DO THEY SEE PARALLELS THERE?" AND THE OTHER ONE 19. "WHAT GOOD DO YOUR GUARANTEES DO YOU IF THERE'S ANOTHER RED GUARD REVOLUTION OR THE EQUIVALENT, DURING THE PERIOD OF THE ACCORD?"
SIR DAVID: ON THE FIRST QUESTION, I THINK THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD SEE HONG KONG AS BEING VERY DIFFERENT, INDEED, FROM TIBET. HONG KONG HAS THE PROVISIONS FOR THE FUTURE LAID DOWN DETAIL IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. THAT'S ONE KEY FACTOR.
IN
VERY GREAT
/SECONDLY, AN