TNAG-1721-FCO40-2401-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-delegati-1988 — Page 94

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Hong Kong? It was not helpful for such baseless allegations to be maue. The British and Hong Kong Governments had an immense

commitment to the Joint Declaration and its implementation: they

were fighting as hard as they could.

10. Mr Lee said he accepted that there was no formal commitment to

direct elections in 1988. But British Ministers had spoken of the

progressive development of representative government in the years

ahead. The Secretary of State said it was also necessary to take

into account the need for a durable solution in Hong Kong and the

need to heed the opinion of Hong Kong people. How far was the

confidence crisis of which Mr Lee spoke being averted or encouraged

by allegations of broken promises? The British and Hong Kong Governments were taking decisions with the utmost good faith in the

interests of the territory. Mr Lee should acknowledge the sincerity

of those who were administering Hong Kong.

11.

Mr Lee said that the Hong Kong Government had done nothing over

the past two years, when matters of controversy had come up, to

enhance confidence. Things were not as rosy as they appeared to be

in the Annual Report. Promises had been broken. But the British

Government still had a trump card. China would not allow Hong Kong to disintegrate. If Hong Kong had direct elections in 1988 this

would strengthen his hand in the BLDC.

12. The Secretary of State said that Me Lee was entitled to his opinions, but he could not share them. No-one had a trump card. This was a dangerous concept. The only card of any value was the willingness of Britain and China to work together. The judgements

being made by the British and Hong Kong Governments in this

connection needed care and discretion. The process was not helped by allegations of bad faith and broken promises.

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