SURVEYS
10. THERE HAVE BEEN TWO MAJOR INDEPENDENT SURVEYS OF PUBLIC OPINION (REFORM CLUB AND THE ''OBSERVERS''). BOTH, CONDUCTED BY SURVEY RESEARCH UNIT HONG KONG, WERE BASED ON 1,000 INTERVIEWS USING UP TO DATE SAMPLING TECHNIQUES. THE FIRST, PUBLISHED BY THE REFORM CLUB IN APRIL, SHOWED THAT 85% PREFERRED CONTINUED RULE BY BRITAIN EITHER BY MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO (A ''BRITISH COLONY UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION' 70%) OR AS A TRUST TERRITORY (1.E. TO REMAIN UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WITH SOVEREIGNTY BELONGING TO CHINA'' 15%). 4% WANTED IT TO REVERT TO CHINESE ADMINISTRATION. 28% SAID THEY WOULD EMIGRATE IF CHINA TOOK OVER. FREEDOM OF LIFE STYLE WAS A MAJOR FACTOR IN PEOPLE'S PREFERENCE FOR HONG KONG AS PRESENTLY GOVERNED.
11. THE REFORM CLUB HAD EARLIER ADVANCED ITS OWN PROPOSALS FOR THE FUTURE. THESE WERE BASED ON BRITAIN'S RELINQUISHING ALL CLAIMS TO THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997, IN RETURN FOR WHICH CHINA WOULD CREATE A TRUST TERRITORY UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION FOR A TERM OF AT LEAST 20 YEARS. THEREAFTER, CHINA WOULD GIVE AT LEAST 10 YEARS NOTICE OF ANY INTENTION TO RESUME ADMINISTRATION. THE REFORM CLUB SAID THAT SOME FORM OF AGREEMENT WAS IMPERATIVE WITHIN TWO OR THREE YEARS.
12. THE ''OBSERVERS' PUBLISHED THEIR SURVEY THIS MONTH. 95% OF THOSE POLLED FOUND THE MAINTENANCE OF THE STATUS QUO AN ACCEPTABLE OPTION, COMPARED TO 64% WHO ACCEPTED HONG KONG'S REMAINING UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION BUT WITH CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, 26% ITS RETURN TO CHINA, 42% ITS BECOMING A SEZ AND 37% ITS BECOMING INDEPENDENT. 67% SAID THAT ITS RETURN TO CHINA WAS NOT ACCEPTABLE. THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THE STATUS QUO CITED WERE THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM (37%) AND THE LIFE STYLE (35%), WITH FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND THE POLITICAL SYSTEM BOTH ATTRACTING 10% (CORRESPONDENTS COULD OPT FOR MORE THAN ONE). ALTHOUGH 95% SAID THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD PLAY A PART IN DECIDING ITS FUTURE, 58% CONSIDERED THAT THE PEOPLE WERE NOT IN FACT ABLE TO INFLUENCE A DECISION COMPARED TO 38% WHO THOUGHT THEY COULD.
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13. IN A PAPER ACCOMPANYING THEIR SURVEY, THE OBSERVERS 'RECOGNISED THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC'S FORMAL POSITION IN HONG KONG: THAT IT IS CHINA'S TERRITORY WHICH WILL BECOME PART OF CHINA EVENTUALLY. WE MUST FACE UP TO THE INEVITABILITY OF CHANGE. THE OBSERVERS WANTED A VOICE IN SHAPING OUR FUTURE, OUR AUTONOMY WHICH THEY INTERPRETED NOT AS A CALL FOR INDEPENDENCE BUT FOR AUTONOMY WITHIN CHINA'. THEY CONCLUDED THE OBSERVERS CANNOT OFFER A SOLUTION TO THE 1997 PROBLEM. SOLUTIONS MUST BE REACHED BY NEGOTIATIONS AND THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THERE IS A NEED FOR CHINA TO CONSULT THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST INVESTORS, WHEN IT FORMULATES PLANS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE. SO
MUST BRITAIN''
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