TNAG-1322-FCO40-1728-Future-of-Hong-Kong-opinion-polls-and-surveys-1984 — Page 281

"PUBLIC SERVICE

`7. CONCERN AND ANXIETY CONTINUE, BUT MORALE STILL HOLDS UP. THERE

HAS BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF RESIGNATIONS. A FLURRY OF ALARM WAS CAUSED BY A REPORTED REMARK BY DENG XIAOPING THAT CIVIL SERVANTS IN HONG KONG WERE TOO MANY AND OVERPAID. HOWEVER, CHINESE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY CLAIMED THAT DENG WAS QUOTED OUT OF

CONTEXT.

THE

8. A FOUR-MEMBER GROUP FROM THE POLITICALLY NON-ALIGNED CHINESE CIVIL SERVANTS' ASSOCIATION, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CIVIL SERVICE UNIONS VISITED CHINA AND WAS THE FIRST TO GO TO PEKING. THE DELEGATION MET JI PENGFEI, AND ON THEIR RETURN SAID THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS SEEMED QUITE SINCERE ABOUT WISHING HONG KONG TO STAY AS IT IS. JI APPARENTLY SAID SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE WOULD BE NO REPRISAL AGAINST ANY CIVIL SERVANT, INCLUDING LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

ASSESSMENT OF VIEWS ON SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT

9. AN INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING CYNICALLY THAT THE ROLE OF THE SPECIAL ASSESSMENT OFFICE WILL BE GIVE THE RUBBER STAMP OF RESPECTABILITY TO WHATEVER AGREEMENT IS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN

AND CHINA.

10. IN A LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 8 AUGUST, MISS LYDIA DUNN URGED THAT, IF AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT, BOTH THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO RECONSIDER IT. HER REMARKS DO NOT HOWEVER SEEM TO HAVE AROUSED MUCH INTEREST.

11. ALTHOUGH SOME INDIVIDUALS STILL ARGUE FOR A REFERENDUM, MOST PEOPLE NOW ACCEPT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE AN APPROPRIATE OR PRUDENT WAY OF TESTING OPINION.

YOUDE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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