systems, but also one country.
Bound to be areas where ultimate
We must not have unrealistic
sovereign power lies with Peking. expectations of what is ultimately achievable.
Representative Government
Should also recall earlier controversy over representative government. We were accused of caving in to Chinese pressure.
look at the facts.
But
There was no clear support in Hong Kong for direct elections in
Had there been, this would have been a political factor we would have had to take into account. We told the Chinese as much.
1988.
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But Hong Kong opinion was clearly divided, for a number of
reasons.
This was basis for our decision to move more gradually, introduce direct elections in 1991. Decision was broadly accepted
as a sensible one: controversy is behind us.
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We would not have been justified in pursuing a different line simply to gratify the calls of a minority for overt confrontation
with Chinese.
Our Intentions
We shall continue to administer Hong Kong with its own best interests as our guide. But it would be foolish to do that without recognition of the transition to Chinese sovereignty in which it is
engaged.
A cooperative relatiionship with China puts us in best position to explain that Hong Kong will flourish and contribute most to China if it is given the full degree of autonomy assured by the Joint
Declaration.
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