TNAG-1246-FCO40-1560-Press-reports-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 79

Unacceptable and unthinkable

China's project of leaving the governing of Hongkong in the hands of the local people after the return of sovereignty over the territory to China in 1997 has made clear the Chinese govern-

ment's concern over not only the country's sovereign rights, but also the immediate and long-term interests of the people in Hongkong. It also shows the Chinese government's con- fidence in the people here.

There have been suggestions that the British rule here should be extended beyond 1997. The reason given was that only a British govern- ment could maintain Hongkong in its prosperous course, and that a switch to an indigenous rule would certainly upset the apple cart.

This can only be considered an affront to the intelligence and capability of the local community. Even if they are not yet adequately prepared because so far few of them have been put into responsible positions, given the oppor- tunities they should certainly be well prepared in 15 years (15 years is a big chunk of anyone's working life). It is wrong to say that the British government has never had anything to do with the present development in Hongkong. But former governors were heard paying credits to the hardworking, capability and resilience of the local population. In fact without the local population as they are and without the support from mainland in the form of the export of consumer goods, food, and even water at low prices, Hongkong's enduring development into an industrial as well as financial centre would have been unthinkable. After all, Hongkong's industry is not only manned but also begun and managed by Chinese. Even in the financial field, local people have been coming up fast.

Moreover, the suggestion for a so-called 'status quo' in government well beyond 1997 means actually that the Chinese government will get a travesty of 'sovereignty', and for that, ironically, it had to recognize the unequal treaties at this late date so that the lease, which flowed from these treaties, could be extended!

To any country with any self-respect, not to say a country which has behind it a long and lof- ty tradition of revolution and anti-imperialism, the maintaining of an alien rule on Chinese ter- ritory is unacceptable and unthinkable.