DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
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There is therefore no justification for the claim
that the present situation is "light years away from the
terms and spirit of the Joint Declaration".
That
agreement provides a comprehensive framework for Hong
Kong's future and covers every aspect of Hong Kong's
life. Our task now, to which we remain resolutely
committed, is to turn that blueprint into practical
reality. We are making important progress on all fronts,
including the field of representative government.
In Confidence
Your editorial repeats the all too familiar myths of
Britain's so-called "broken promises" in respect of
democracy in Hong Kong before 1997. It quotes a
statement made by the then Minister of State in the
Foreign Office, Mr Richard Luce, about the development of
representative government. But it omits the fact that
to more representative
Mr Luce went on to make clear that what was envisaged was
a "step by step approach
government which takes fully into account Hong Kong's
special circumstances and traditions." In asserting our
commitment to the steady development of representative
government in Hong Kong, we have always emphasised that
this should happen in a prudent way. We must acknowledge
the inescapable political context in which this process
has to take place.
Since the signing of the Joint Declaration,
representative government has been progressively
introduced in Hong Kong in a way which is entirely
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