SECRET
RECENT REMARKS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS ON CHINA'S PLAN FOR HONG KONG
AFTER 1997
1.
Considerable publicity has been given in the last few days to remarks by Ji Pengfei, Head of the State Council's Hong Kong/Macao Office and to a speech by Xu Jiatun, Head of the
New China News Agency in Hong Kong.
JI PENGFEI
2. Ji's remarks stem from an interview given to Dr Mun of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Dr Mun spoke to the press on his return to Hong Kong on 7 January. According to the independent Hong Kong press Ji made three points of particular interest:
(i)
In the future Government of Hong Kong there would be
(ii)
a "Consultative Council" with members comprising
one third "pro-China", one third "pro-British" and one third "politically neutral".
Hong Kong people could be defined under three
categories:
(a)
(b)
(c)
The 95% of the population who held either "Hong Kong passports" or certificates of identity would become Chinese subjects resident in Hong Kong. As such they would have the right to vote and to be voted for, not only in
Hong Kong but also in mainland China.
The second category contained Chinese holding foreign passports who had been in Hong Kong for a long time. They would have the right to vote but not the right to stand for election.
The third category comprised foreigners living in Hong Kong. They would neither have the right to vote nor be voted for. Their children who were born in Hong Kong could choose to
S
/become
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