XN000022-1990-03-01 — Page 14

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THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 1990

HURD

THE

HE WAS SURPRISED THAT AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND, MR DOUGLAS AND MR FRANCIS MAUDE SHOULD ENTER THE LATTER STAGE OF NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA WITH SOME PERCEPTION THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE READY TO CONCEDE TO A SLOWER PACE OF DEMOCRATIC REFORM.

WHERE ON EARTH DID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT GET THIS IDEA, HE

WONDERED.

IN MR MCGREGOR'S VIEW, CHINA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS HONG KONG WAS MORE EXCUSABLE, BEARING IN MIND THAT THE COUNTRY HAD NEVER TASTED DEMOCRATIC FREEDOM, NOR DID IT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE VITAL CONTRIBUTION THAT DEMOCRATIC FREEDOM WOULD MAKE ΤΟ THE SUCCESS OF HONG KONG.

"THEY (THE CHINESE LEADERS) APPEAR TO EXPECT THAT WHAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH FOR BRITAIN SHOULD BE GOOD ENOUGH FOR CHINA; THAT SUCCESSFUL COLONIAL HONG KONG SHOULD BECOME SUCCESSFUL SAR OF WITHOUT ANY GREAT CHANGE IN THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

CHINA

BUT THE DIFFERENCE WAS THAT WHILE THE BRITISH TRACK RECORD IN ADMINISTERING HONG KONG HAS BEEN BENIGN AND NON-INTERVENTIONIST IN CHARACTER, CHINA'S POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS HAD INSPIRED LITTLE FAITH AMONG THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.

ALTHOUGH CHINA HAD BEEN TRYING то LIBERALISE ITS ECONOMIC SYSTEM, IT HAD NOT RECOGNISED THE NEED FOR CORRESPONDING CHANGE TO ITS POLITICAL SYSTEM.

ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CHANGE WERE INTERDEPENDENT AND ONE COULD NOT SUCCEED WITHOUT THE OTHER, MR MCGREGOR EMPHASISED.

HE SAID THE LACK OF FAITH IN CHINA WAS NOW CAUSING THE GREATEST BRAIN DRAIN IN HONG KONG'S HISTORY.

"PEOPLE WHO HAVE A CHOICE ARE CHOOSING TO LEAVE THAT CHINA HAS DONE SO FAR WITH THE BASIC LAW WILL ASSURANCES NECESSARY TO SLOW IT DOWN,' HE SAID.

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AND NOTHING PROVIDE THE

COMMENTING ON THE SENIOR MEMBER'S MOTION, MR MCGREGOR SAID THAT HE DID NOT OPPOSE IT ALTHOUGH HE FELT IT WAS TOO CONCILIATORY TO BOTH THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WHICH HAD IMPOSED THEIR AGREED POLITICAL MODEL ON HONG KONG IN DISREGARD OF THE CLEARLY EXPRESSED WISHES OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE.

"

"INDEED I WILL VOTE IN FAVOUR OF IT,' HE CONCLUDED.

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