DEPENDS TOTALLY ON THE CONTINUING GOODWILL OF PRESENT CHINESE LEADERS AND THEIR SUCCESSORS. THEY BELIEVE THAT ANY SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT SHOULD CONTAIN FORMAL GUARANTEES OF PERFORMANCE AFTER
1997 WITH SOME SYSTEM OF ARBITRATION IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE TO PERFORM. THEY ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED THAT THE INDEPENDENCE AND INTEGRITY OF THE LEGAL SYSTEM SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. THOSE WITH
BRITISH NATIONALITY ARE ANXIOUS THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD UPHOLD THEIR RIGHTS UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT. THEY CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT THE ENACTMENT OF THISE LEGISLATION IN 1981 WAS DELIBERATELY TIMED WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN MIND.
5. THE UPWARD TREND IN INTEREST IN EMIGRATION EXPERIENCED
IN 1983 HAS LEVELLED OFF IN EARLY 1984. ENQUIRIES ABOUT MIGRATION TO THE AUSTRALIAN COMMISSION IN HONG KONG (WHICH KEEPS THE MOST SUITABLE FIGURES FOR OUR PURPOSES) HAVE FALLEN FROM A MONTHLY AVERAGE IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF 1983 OF 3,950 TO AN AVERAGE IN THE FIRST TWO MONTHS IN 1984 OF 3,500, WHILE APPLICATIONS FOR VISAS HAVE DROPPED FROM AN AVERAGE OF 246 TO 162. NEVERTHELESS MANY OF THOSE WHO CAN DO SO HAVE TAKEN STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THEY AND OR THEIR FAMILIES CAN SETTLE ELSEWHERE BEFORE 1997 SHOULD THEY WISH. ONE INDUSTRIALIST HAS SAID PRIVATELY THAT HE AND HIS MANUFACTURING COLLEAGUES AIM TO MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO BE IN A BETTER POSITION SHOULD THE TIME COME TO MOVE ELSEWHERE. WE HAVE ALSO HEARD AGAIN THAT MEMBERS OF THE MEDICAL PROFESSION REMAIN CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND THAT MANY ARE MAKING CONTINGENCY ARRANGEMENTS TO EMIGRATE.
6. THERE HAS BEEN SOME INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF QUESTIONNAIRES ABOUT THE FUTURE. TWO DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE DECIDED TO SET UP SPECIAL WORKING GROUPS TO POLL LOCAL RESIDENTS. PUBLIC SERVICE UNIONS ARE FINALISING A QUESTIONNAIRE TO SEND THEIR MEMBERS. SEVENTY PER CENT OF THOSE RESPONDING TO A SURVEY BY THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS' UNION THOUGHT THE BASIC LAW FOR HONG KONG POST-1997 SHOULD INCLUDE THE U.N. MANIFESTO ON HUMAN RIGHTS. THE HEUNG YEE KUK HAS PRESENTED A PAPER TO THE CHINESE WHICH AMONG OTHER PROPOSALS CALLS FOR AN INTERNATIONAL GUARANTEE, IN THE FORM OF AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT MADE AT E.G. THE UNITED NATIONS, TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING CAPITALIST SYSTEM IN HONG KONG FOLLOWING 1997. (THE KUK HAS NOT PUBLICISED THIS PAPER, BUT WE HAVE SEEN A COPY.)
7. STIMULATED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S DEBATE OF 14 MAPCH ON THE LOBO MOTION, SOME DISTRICT BOARDS HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THE FUTURE: SOME MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAVE ENCOURAGED THEM BY ATTENDING THEIR MEETINGS. INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ALSO TAKEN PART IN LOCAL SEMINARS ON THE FUTURE. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING FOR THE SPEEDY DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AS A DULWARK AGAINS INTERFERENCE FROM PEKING FOLLOWING 1997.
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