TNAG-1719-FCO40-2399-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 81

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government.

We, for our part, were intent on

maintaining all aspects of the existing Hong Kong system except the system of government, which we wished to change drastically before 1997. By early 1987 it seemed entirely possible that, although the Chinese accepted that the British were obliged to carry out a review that year, they would insist that no significant constitutional changes should be made until after the Basic Law was passed in 1990. Now there is no question of whether there should be direct elections to the legislature in 1997: at the minimum a quarter of the legislature will be so elected. Furthermore, the Chinese have accepted that we should decide on, and announce, the first significant step in this direction well before their Basic Law has been passed: indeed before the first draft has formally been published. This is no mean feat. It is the result of a good deal of hard bargaining, and shows a welcome degree of common-sense on both sides.

21. In Hong Kong the decisions announced in the White Paper have generally been accepted as sensible and have been much on the lines expected. Some however have reacted sharply against them. The radicals, with Mr Martin Lee prominently at their head, have burnt copies of the White Paper and accused the Hong Kong Government and HMG of "betrayal". The Heung Yee Kuk (an association representing indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories) have burnt further copies because they have not been made a functional constituency. The Urban Council is up in arms because it is to be expanded next year to include elected representatives of the District Boards and because Urban Councillors will then lose their ex-officio membership of the District Boards. number of District Boards are disatisfied that they will lose their status as an electoral college in favour of directly elected geographical representatives. All of these groups will continue to press their respective causes over the next few weeks. But I doubt if any seriously expect to mount an effective challenge to the White Paper decisions.

22.

A

The local press, and public opinion generally, are largely supportive of the decisions that have been taken. By contrast, the foreign press, particularly in Britain, has been almost universally antagonistic. Both the Hong Kong Government and HMG have been strongly criticised for allegedly bowing to Chinese pressure. This reflects to some extent the success of visits made by Mr Martin Lee to London in December 1987 and January 1988. But an additional factor is that not many Western journalists seem able to understand why the directly elected system with which they are familiar in their own countries is not necessary the obvious answer for this unique territory.

/The way ahead

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