TNAG-1750-FCO40-2470-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 78

7

to

for him necessary Government "what is in the Survey

find it

be

Government. For why else would our Governor necessary to go to Beijing so soon after his first

And why would it visit in late September 1987?

to explain

the Chinese Office

and Report and which that creates for the decisions which (the Executive Council) is going

about the question of direct elections Wilson, 3rd

the

parameters

be taking

to the Legislative Council"? (Sir December, 1987, in Beijing).

David

to

How is this ch ange of position by the British

oversee

Richard Luce Administration consistent with what Mr. told the House of Commons on 21st January 1985, that the Joint Liaison Group would not constitutional development of Hong Kong before 1997 a nd that "it is firmly

will

be Government administration of Hong Kong until 1st July 1997" ?

If the Join t governments

years

Declaration

ag reed responsaible

that the

for

is broke n

British the

by both while there are still nine and a half

1997, the people

of

Hong Kong

to go before won de r what will happen to the Joint Declaration, and the Basic Law for that matter, after 1997.

"Convergence" with the Chinese Government

any

sensitive

Government

has

a

Furthermore, it is now obvious that when it

issue

which political or

taken

on

strong

comes to the Chinese

the

British

Government.

stance,

Administration will simply agree "to converge" with the Chinese

We

believe

that

in

British SO doing, the

for the Administration is not only setting a very bad precedent future but is doing serious harm to the political system of the

effective no

in future SAR. The people of Hong Kong have

s ay

the

But present administration

Hong Kong by the British.

Kong with they hope, that after 1997, they will administer Hong

high degree of

to them by both

Britain and China.

the ye ars

British

a

by

of

made promise these transitional

Administration were to allow itself to be dictated to

Chinese

internal

affairs

autonomy, a If during

Government

in

relation to it is

to going

to it in of the

make it very to have that the Joint of people

the including political reforms,

difficult for the future Hong Kong SAR government

high degree

Declaration.

Hong Kong and

promised

of autonomy This is against the interests against the Joint Declaration.

The Hong Kong Government has lost its credibility

То

compound the situation, the Hong Kong Government

has recently made decisions which have credibility:-

(a)

number a

of severely and

The Government's

and unpopular

unjustifiable adversely damaged its o wn

refusal to withdraw its support for

Aftermath