TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 63

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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TRANSCRIPT C HONG KONG SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING 22 MAR 89

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IR TEKPLE-MORRIS (COFT) :

So that is one side of it, grounds for optimism, but the

other side of it perhaps is that well goodness gracious ma are

they ever going to live up to thic? There is so much here which

carries, if you like, Hong Kong in the future so far away from

what China can possibly hope to become itself, that there must be

many people in Beijing and elsewhere who might say, or certainly

be tempted to say after 1997: *This goes far too far, we are not

going to have all thew electione and in any event many people in

Hong Kong are not the least bit interested in elections. Aud

indeed, pursuant to that, I think we only mustered about 17

percent in the last Municipal Elections.

So that therefore

against that apathetic background is not this document going too

far?*

So there are the two sides to the question really, and I am

just wondering against that background how the Foreign Secretary

sees Hong Kong in Chinese eyes after 1997?

POREIGN SECRETARY:

Well I think the most important feature of China's

perception of the future of Hong Kong is their powerful wish that

it should continue to be successful. The one thing that is

absolutely clear is their recognition of the dynamic and quality

of this unique society and above all they want it to go on like

that. That is at the heart of the commitment to stability and

prosperity.

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