XN000022-1992-10-24 — Page 7

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1992

+

I MAKE ONE FURTHER POINT, THIS MORNING, WHICH I WILL MAKE AGAIN AND AGAIN. THE NOTION THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO OPERATE AS SUCCESSFULLY AS ANYONE IN THE WORLD IN EVERY MARKET KNOWN то MAN AND WOMAN, AREN'T SUFFICIENTLY RESPONSIBLE AND SOPHISTICATED TO MANAGE A MODEST INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS, IN MY VIEW SHOWS AN ASTONISHING VIEW OF THEIR APTITUDE AND CAPACITY. SO I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE RECOGNISED THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT I HAVE PUT FORWARD, HAVE BEEN CRITICISED FOR NOT GOING FAR ENOUGH, CRITICISED IN HONG KONG AND CRITICISED BEYOND, CRITICISED IN PART BECAUSE OTHERS, AND MANY IN THIS COMMUNITY, HAVE A VERY,

VERY HIGH VIEW OF WHAT PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN BE CAPABLE AND THAT VIEW OF THEIR CAPACITY IS SHARED BY THE GOVERNOR OF THIS TERRITORY.

OF.

MR CHEUNG MAN-KWONG (IN CANTONESE): THANK YOU, MR GOVERNOR. I HAVE A QUESTION RELATED TO THAT ASKED BY MR ALLEN LEE. YOU SAY THAT THE CHINESE, IF THEY DO NOT DISAGREE THEN YOU CAN DIVULGE THE CORRESPONDENCE IN THE PAST ABOUT 1995, BUT I HAVE A QUESTION: IN THE PAST, FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA, HAVE THEY REACHED ANY AGREEMENT ABOUT 1995 ELECTIONS? IS THERE ANY SUCH SECRET AGREEMENT? IF, YES, THEN IS IT TRUE THAT THE PRESENT CONSULTATION IS MEANINGLESS? IF THERE IS NO SUCH PAST AGREEMENT AND 1F THE PRESENT CONSULTATION GETS WIDE SUPPORT IN HONG KONG, WILL YOU USE A REFERENDUM TO DECIDE THE FUTURE POLITICAL PACKAGE?

GOVERNOR:

WELL, I'VE GIVEN MY VIEWS AS CANDIDLY AS I CAN ON A REFERENDUM AND I DON'T WANT TO GO ON REPEATING THE SAME ARGUMENTS. THERE WAS NO SECRET AGREEMENT ABOUT THE 1995 ELECTIONS, BUT THERE WAS A VERY PUBLIC DISAGREEMENT.

THERE WAS A PUBLIC DISAGREEMENT ABOUT THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS PROPOSED FOR 1995, OR RATHER FOR THE FIRST LEGISLATURE OF THE SAR. IT'S NOT A MATTER OF CONFIDENTIAL EXCHANGES THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT HAS FOR THE LAST YEARS, THE LAST TWO YEARS, PRESSED FOR A FASTER PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION. IT'S NOT A MATTER OF CONFIDENTIAL EXCHANGES THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT HAS DURING THAT PERIOD, PRESSED FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS, THAT IS WELL KNOWN ΤΟ EVERYONE.

IT'S BEEN ARGUED FOR IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AT WESTMINSTER, IT'S BEEN ARGUED FOR IN MEETINGS BETWEEN THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA, IT'S BEEN ARGUED FOR ELSEWHERE.

IT WAS PRECISELY BECAUSE CHINESE OFFICIALS ARGUED THAT SUCH A PROPOSAL WOULD VIOLATE THE BASIC LAW, OR RATHER WOULD NECESSITATE A RE-DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW, THAT I SUGGESTED A DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE QUESTION OF THE 1995 ELECTIONS. A DIFFERENT APPROACH WHICH A NUMBER OF HONOURABLE MEMBERS, FOR UNDERSTANDABLE REASONS, REGARD AS AN INSUFFICIENT RESPONSE TO THE DEMANDS FOR GREATER DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR WHAT HAS BEEN A MATTER OF PUBLIC

DISAGREEMENT IN THE PAST ON THE 1995

ELECTIONS.

PUBLIC

—

/AND ONE