TNAG-1356-FCO40-1797-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 108

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PROSPERITY. BUT STEADY EVOLUTION OF STRUCTURES OF GOVERNMENT, A PROCESS WHICH HAS BEEN IN MOTION FOR VERY MANY YEARS, IS NECESSARY TO SATISFY LEGITIMATE ASPIRATIONS FOR GREATER PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT. THE (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) PRUDENT DEVELOPMENT OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT CAN ONLY ENHANCE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. HISTORY CANNOT STAND STILL: GOVERNMENT

MUST KEEP UP WITH THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE GOVERNED. OTHERWISE IT WILL RAPIDLY BECOME OUT OF TOUCH AND UNPOPULAR. THIS REALLY IS

WAY TO UNDERMINE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY.

CPG.

TO AIM

4. YOU ARE TRYING TO CREATE AN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ENTITY. NO INTENTION OF CREATING AN INDEPENDENT POLITICAL ENTITY. TO MAKE GOVERNMENT MORE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DOES NOT MEAN THAT HKG IS NOT ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE TO HMG. SIMILARLY, AFTER 1997, SARG WILL BE ULTIMATELY ACCOUNTABLE TO

NOTHING WE HAVE DONE IS CONTRARY TO TERMS OF JOINT DECLARATION. THAT IS OUR STARTING POINT. CHINESE SIDE HAS FREQUENTLY MADE CLEAR THAT AFTER 1997 HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL ADMINISTER HONG KONG. JOINT DECLARATION STATES THAT THE SAR GOVERNMENT AND LEGISLATURE SHALL BE COMPOSED OF LOCAL INHABITANTS AND THAT THE LEGISLATURE SHALL BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS. JOINT DECLARATION ALSO MAKES CLEAR THAT THE SAR SHALL ENJOY A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY. THE CHANGES TO GOVERNMENT STRUCTURES WHICH WERE PROPOSED IN THE WHITE PAPER AND APPROVED IN JANUARY 1985 FALL FULLY WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK.

5.

A

STARTING POINT OF THE 'NO CHANGE FOR 50 YEARS' PROMISE IS

THAT THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE TO SYSTEMS IN FORCE AT TIME OF RATIFICATION OF JOINT DECLARATION, RATHER THAN NO CHANGE TO ANY SYSTEMS YOU CHOOSE TO PUT IN PLACE BETWEEN THEN AND 1997. DO NOT WISH TO REOPEN ARGUMENT ON THE 'REFERENCE POINT'. SOCIETY CANNOT BE FROZEN FOR 12 YEARS. IN ANY CASE, AS YOU HAVE OFTEN MADE CLEAR, BASIC LAW WILL DEFINE SYSTEMS OF SAR AND THERE CLEARLY HAVE TO BE SOME CHANGES FROM BRITISH SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT

UNDER A GOVERNOR APPOINTED BY THE QUEEN.

(OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS) IF NECESSARY (CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS) FREQUENT REFERENCES IN ANNEX I TO 'AFTER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE

SAR, THE SYSTEMS PREVIOUSLY IN FORCE'.

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