TNAG-2329-FCO40-3373-Hong-Kong-contacts-with-academics-and-writers-1991 — Page 57

3.8.

can.

that money can be made in closed societies. In fact, I know that it

What I doubt very much is that the level of prosperity and development in this territory can be sustained if inroads into macro or micro autonomy follow the handover in 1997. Thus, I believe:-

(a) Unless there is autonomy at the micro level, I doubt its efficacy

at the macro level.

With true autonomy in practice, there are guarantees:-

(b) To enable Hong Kong's citizens to determine their future;

? (c)

?

(d)

(e)

To mitigate the effects of unwanted changes;

To promote the true possibilities for Hong Kong people to select or elect their own leaders.

To find the appropriate ways to have an effective government which will keep the SAR system separate in practice from the other PRC system.

Thus, I believe that practical autonomy is the precondition for the formula "one country, two systems" to apply in more than an economic sense. Yet, I believe that law and rhetoric alone are insufficient to achieve this. Administrative attitude, and the economy are central too, yet each in its right place. Mr. Lu Ping once remarked: -

"The Sino-British Joint Declaration stipulates the maintenance of the capitalist social system. This includes the economic system as well as the political system. The economy is the base,

11 17 politics is the superstructure.

That sounds as if it reflects a Marxist way of looking at things. Perhaps capitalist reality is gather more complicated. And if so, it may need to be known as such.

It is surely desirable that China should reeqguite the importance of HK's "economic base”.

Sir Geoffrey Howe announced some years ago in the House of Commons that: -

"Chinese leaders at the highest level [have given] us solemn

assurances of China's commitment to full implementation of the agreement.

11

What aspects of that full level of implementation imply so far is discussed in Part Four of this paper. Of course, it is a fact of life that the political dispensation for Hong Kong beyond 1997 will be according to the model laid down by the CPG. And so it has to be: Hong Kong will be sovereign PRC territory. In international law, that model is to be based on the Joint Declaration. A PRC lawyer has written: -

"model" is largely determined by the JD