TNAG-1600-FCO40-2193-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 78

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HKB oula

15 DEC 1987

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

669411/2

8th December 1987

Dear Prime Minister,

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

the

forma 1

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 agreement to the full Chinese Government

•

I believe

--

It is

that

SO too are the

an

agreement the Chinese

which Government will honour, and it has be en signed in the eyes of the world, and it is a good agreement. I believe that be honoured to the full."

it will

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 promi sed 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 Joint 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 a high degree of autonomy. They no longer believe that the "one country two systems"

two systems" policy will succeed. And So, many who

could leave Hong Kong have left; and others are making