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people assurances without their having to leave Hong Kong. We have
been asking partners and allies to consider taking similar measures.
Basic Law
We have had detailed confidential discussions with the Chinese
authorities during the course of the drafting process. As a result,
changes have been made to many provisions.
- On the whole, the Basic Law is an acceptable reflection of the
Joint Declaration, though there are inevitably some provisions which
we would have preferred to have been drafted differently.
Democracy
-
18 seats in the 1991 legislature is just two seats less than the
OMELCO concensus and a considerable advance on the 10 seats proposed
in Hong Kong's 1988 White Paper.
In return for those two seats we have achieved a number of
improvements in Basic Law provisions for future political structure
after 1997.
- We shall continue our efforts to persuade the Chinese Government
that a faster pace of democratisation would be both manageable and
desirable. The number of directly elected seats in 1995 has been
left open.
-
The majority of Hong Kong people do not want 100% direct elections now: it would represent too sudden and drastic a change.
- It would be foolish to develop a set of arrangements for
legislature which the Chinese would not be prepared to continue
after 1997.
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