TNAG-1598-FCO40-2191-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 115

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15 DEC 1987

The Rt. Hon. Mrs. Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister

Dear Prime Minister,

8th December 1987

Two days after Declaration in Beijing, you Kong on 21st December 1984.

the

formal

signing of the

gave a press conference in You said

"The agreement is regarded as a good one by the overwhelming majority of the people of Hong Kong and the British Government are firmly committed to carrying out the

the full

SO too are the an agreement the Chinese

to

I

agreement Chinese Government which

-

It is believe that

Government will honour, and it has been signed in the eyes of the world, and it is a good agreement. I believe that it will

be honoured to the full."

669

Join t

Hong

Your statement that the Joint Declaration had the support of the overwhelming majority of the people of Hong Kong h ad to be viewed in the light that the people of Hong Kong were really given Hobson's choice; and many had reservations on it. But the majority of the people of Hong Kong found it generally acceptable, because they had be en promised by the British Government that they would have a democratic system of government in place before 1997, which included the development of "the representative status of the two

ma in central government institutions

the Executive Council and the Legislative Council." (Richard Luce, 25th May, 1984, in the House of Commons.) Based on such opinion from Hong Kong, and assurances of democracy from their own government, the British Parliament also accepted the Joint Declaration.

A public opinion poll conducted in Hong Kong in November 1984 showed that 81% of the people polled thought that the terms of the Joint Declaration were "very good" and "quite good". But this percentage dropped to only 28% by July 1987. Another poll conducted in August 1987 showed that only 16% wanted Hong Kong to be a Special Administration Region as planned in 1997, whereas 70% preferred to see Hong Kong to remain part of Britain, or be independent. These poll results are set out in Annex 1.

Today the great

majority of the people of Hong Kong do not believe that the Join t Declaration will be fully implemented by

both the British and Chinese Governments or that Hong Kong people will be allowed to administer Hong Kong with а high degree of autonomy. They no longer believe that the "one country two systems" policy will succeed. And So, many who could leave Hong Kong have

others are making

left; and