SECRET
B.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM
1. In contrast to the general post-war desire for representative and
responsible government in other colonial territories, there is no
general demand for constitutional change in Hong Kong. The Chinese,
who constitute 93% of the population, are not really interested in
constitutional reform; their desire is to live and work under a
well-est: blished system of law and order and to pursue their own private
affairs with a minimum of interference by government. Informed opinion
in the colony is also aware of the danger that the introduction of
elections would lead either to open political strife between Communist
and K.l.F, supporters, which would be intolerable to Peking and might
start reaction which would lead to the end of the colony's separate
existence; if the K.H.T. were not powerful enough to take up the
cudgels, would lead to complete Communist control of the Colony's
Of:
institutions, which would make our position impossible.
no hint must be given
2. The lease of the New Territories expires in 1997 and there is no
likelihood that it will be renewed. Without the leased area the Colony
will not retain viable. It seems inevitable therefore that the
territory's ultimate future will lie in re-incorporation with China
(of course, to avoid erosion of local confidence
that H.H.G. recognises such an outcome). There have been frequent and
plain indic tions that the C.P.G. expects the "status quo" in Hong Kong
to be maintained, and by this they mean that they would not accept any
advancement of the Colony along the normal progression towards
self-government and independence. All the evidence suggests that any
major constitutional changes on these lines (which might imply that
Hong Kong could have a future other than re-incorporation with China)
would provoke a violent reaction from the C.P.G. and precipitate action
for the return of the Colony.
3. Present policy is to consider changes to the constitution of
Hong Kong insofar as the Executive and Legislative Councils are concerned,
only in relation to the necessity for the improvement of the machinery of
government.
Unofficial membership of both Councils has been increased in
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