THE REFORM CLUB OF HONG KONG
801 FU HING BUILDING,
JUBILEE STREET,
LONG KONG.
TEL.: 5-450001
1.
Mr. Willamor
ва £23.4
X
SUBMISSION TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT | ON THE FUTURE OF HONGKONG
REFORM
CLUB
KONG
216A
M
нин ошол
Plus 2614
An article written by Mrs. Margaret Thatcher's shadow speech-writer, Mr. Alfred Sherman, and published in Hong Kong in
August 1981 stated inter alia "Just as the future of Great
Britain is of primary concern to the people of Britain, the future of Hong Kong is of primary concern to the people of Hong Kong however defined and delineated. The birds of the air have their nests, the people of Hong Kong have Hong Kong. If they do
not think about its long-term future, no one else will do it for
them; and if they think big and courageously, they will be bound to ask: 'What should we be doing now to prepare for whatever
eventualities we may foresee?' When they have thought about the
future, they begin to think about how to make things happen, they will turn from the objects of history to the subjects of history."
2.
Prompted by the above article which created a shocking impact on the people of Hong Kong, the Reform Club, as the most senior and well known political party in Hong Kong, decided to take an in-depth look on the problem of the future of Hong Kong.
3.
From the study it has been revealed that the People's Republic of China, the British Government, the people of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Government all would like to maintain the basic status quo of Hong Kong, although the Chinese Government
is in the horn of dilemma:
(a)
(b)
On one hand the status quo of Hong Kong will benefit China financially, economically, technologically and strategically;
On the other hand, China feels very annoyed
about the historical event of the Convention of
Peking in 1898 when the New Territories were then
leased to Britain, and at all times the Chinese
Government holds the view that this Convention
is null and void.
See (402
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THE REFORM CLUB OF HONG KONG
801 FU HING BUILDING,
JUBILEE STREET,
VONG KONG.
TEL.: 5-450001
REFORM
KONG
CLUB
新車
4.
It is understandable therefore that it is no easy task for the Chinese Government even to initiate a starting point to discuss a possible solution of the problem.
5.
It is also appreciated that on the part of the British Government, its task to commence negotiation with the Chinese Government on this issue is even more difficult; Britain had already agreed with China that Hong Kong (which includes Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories) should be taken out from the List of Colonies as officially recorded in the United Nations. In the eyes of United Nations, Hong Kong is no more a British Colony. Therefore any attempt on the part of the British Government to negotiate for an extension of the lease of New Territories, which was created under the Convention of Peking, could well be interpreted as an obvious intention to maintain colonialism and to violate the said agreement that Hong Kong should be taken out from the List of Colonies.
6.
Hong Kong cannot subsist without New Territories for obvious reasons, the Reform Club believes that both the British Government and the Chinese Government know very well that if New Territories will go back to China after 1997, Hong Kong (i.e. Hong Kong Island together with Kowloon Peninsula) will simply be finished.
7.
The Reform Club associated with the view of Mr. Alfred Sherman, the shadow speech-writer for Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, that if the people of Hong Kong do not think about the long-term future of Hong Kong, no one else will do it for them, especially both the Chinese Government and the British Government have their respective difficulties in starting negotiation on the issue of the future of Hong Kong. 8.
After careful consideration, the Reform Club set up a "Hong Kong Future Ad Hoc Committee" to perform intense research on the issue, consequently a proposal to solve the problem was drafted, released to press and sent to the British Foreign Office and Top Chinese Government Officials including Mr. Deng Xiaoping for their consideration, the proposal is as follows:-
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CLUB
KONG
THE REFORM CLUB OF HONG KONG
801 FU HING BUILDING,
JUBILEE STREET,
„ONG KONG.
TEL.: 5-450001
REFORM
新
9.
The British Government will declare that the whole of Hong Kong will no longer be a Colony after say 1997 and its claim to Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula after 30th June 1997 will be relinquished; then the Chinese Government will make Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories a trust territory under the British Administration for a term of 20 years commencing from 1st July 1997 and thereafter until the Chinese Government gives at least 10 years notice to resume its own administration.
In that way the future of Hong Kong as a free port is assured for the foreseeable future whilst the People's Republic of China will have the advantage that after the term of 20 years certain it will be able to take easy step to amalgamate Hong Kong with their Administration at any time on giving 10 years notice. The object of 10 years is for everyone's benefit to have adequate notice of eventual change over to another different form of administration.
The Reform Club has appointed an independent survey company, Survey Research (Hong Kong) Limited to conduct an opinion poll among the people of Hong Kong in respect of the Club's proposal on "The Future of Hong Kong".
10(a). In para. 11 of the finding of the opinion poll, 85% of the respondents would prefer Hong Kong after 1997 to be governed under British Administration; within these 85% respondents, 70% of respondents would prefer Hong Kong maintaining status quo whilst 15% of respondents would prefer Hong Kong to become a trust territory. However as mentioned in para. 11, the respondents when asked about their preferred outcome of the future of Hong Kong, only 91% of them expressed their opinion whilst the remaining 9% of respondents answered "don't know".
10(b). It is correct to state that in arithmetic it means i.e. 93.4% of the respondents who expressed their opinion would prefer Hong Kong to be governed after 1997 under British
Administration as aforesaid.
85
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