TNAG-1306-FCO40-1663-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 84

3. THIS SERIES OF POLICIES IS NOT AN EXPEDIENT MEASURE, BUT A LONG- TERM STRATEGY FORMULATED AFTER CONSIDERING VARIOUS FACTORS. IT IS

BECAUSE OF THIS THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO MAINTAIN HONGKONG'S EXISTING

CAPITALIST SYSTEM FOR 50 YEARS AFTER SOVEREIGNTY REVERTS TO CHINA IN

1997. AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE STILL OVER 13 YEARS BETWEEN NOW AND 1997, WHICH, TOGETHER WITH THE 50 YEARS AFTER 1997, ADDS UP TO MORE THAN 60 YEARS, OR OVER HALF A CENTURY. SO IT IS A QUESTION FOR THE NEXT TWO OR EVEN THREE GENERATIONS. THIS MEANS THAT WITHIN A LENGTHY

PERIOD OF TIME ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES CAN FREELY TAKE PLACE BETWEEN HONGKONG AND THE MAINLAND, BETWEEN CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES, AS WELL AS BETWEEN THE EAST AND THE WEST. THIS NOT ONLY CONFORMS TO CONDITIONS IN CHINA, BUT IS ALSO IN THE BEST INTERESTS

OF HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS.

4. THIS SERIES OF POLICIES IS FORMULATED NOT BY A FEW LEADERS, BUT AFTER LONG AND REPEATED STUDY AND DELIBERATION BY THE CENTRAL

COMMITTEE AND THE STATE COUNCIL OF CHINA, WHICH INCLUDES REASONABLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE VIEWS FROM DIFFERENT QUARTERS IN HONGKONG. THESE

POLICIES ARE THUS BROADLY REPRESENTATIVE, REALISTIC AND FEASIBLE.

5. THIS SERIES OF POLICIES WILL BE PRESCRIBED BY LAW AND MADE KNOWN TO THE PUBLIC. THESE ARE WHAT WE KNOW AS THE BASIC LAW TO BE DRAWN

UP FOR THE HONGKONG SAR. ON THE BASIS OF SOLICITING OPINIONS FROM

ALL SIDES IN HONGKONG, A DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW WILL FIRST BE MADE BY A DRAFTING BODY, WHICH WILL THEN BE PASSED ON TO HONG KONG COMPATRIOTS FOR DISCUSSION. THEIR SUGGESTIONS FOR AMENDING THE

DRAFT MAY BE FORWARDED THROUGH FULLY DEMOCRATIC CHANNELS.

AFTER BEING AMENDED, IT WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S

CONGRESS OF CHINA TO BE APPROVE AND FORMALLY PROMULGATED. AS THE

BASIC LAW TO BE FORMULATED THROUGH A DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, IT WILL

TAKE A RELATIVELY LONG TIME TO COMPLETE. THE BASIC LAW WILL PROVIDE A GREAT MEASURE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONGKONG WHERE THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE INDEPENDENTLY ITS OWN AFFAIRS

WITHIN THE LIMITS PRESCRIBED BY LAW.

i

HADDON-CAVE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

LIMITED

FID/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

D/HD/PUSD (MR FLOWER)

RES.D. (MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/MR LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

MR DONALD

MR WRIGHT

SIR C TICKELL,

COPIES TO:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS D

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SIR P CRADOCK RM WH M2 21

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