TNAG-1900-FCO40-2699-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-1989 — Page 109

Lee/Shore 36

"We all fully accept that we should build up a firmly

based democratic administration in Hong Kong in the years

between now and 1997."

MR SHORE:

Now, what I

what the Foreign Secretary

said in the same debate on the same date - and the Foreign

Secretary is of course the senior minister, Mr. Richard

Luce was a very junior minister - and what the Foreign

Secretary said was: "It provides for the administration of

Hong Kong to be in local hands, and (or the executives to be

accountable to an elected legislature". Nothing at all

about universal democracy and if that had been the intention

and the pledge of that time, it would have been stated. So I

come back to my point, to which I'm glad you've already

conceded, that there was no deliberate attempt to mislead.

MR MARTIN LEE:

Yes.

• •

MR SHONE:

But, you've now made the second charge, which

is of course that the Government gave way under pressure.

•

MK MARTIN LEE:

Yes...

MR SHORE:

in 1987, not on the whole question of an

elective, a totally democratic electors assembly, because

that wasn't at issue at all in 1987. It was the first

installment of direct election.

So your charge is really

8.74