CONFIDENTIAL
036603
MDHIAN 0180
THIS IS A GOOD AGREEMENT. IT HAS NOT COMPROMISED HONG KONG'S AUTONOMY IN THE WAYS THAT SOME PEOPLE FEARED. RATHER, IT HAS PROVIDED A PRACTICAL MECHANISM FOR DISCUSSING WITH CHINA THOSE MATTERS WHICH WILL IMPOSE OBLIGATIONS ON THE POST 1997 SAR GOVERNMENT. CHIN'S CONCERNS HAVE BEEN BEEN ADDRESSED. IN RETURN, CHINA HAS GIVEN ITS FULL SUPPORT FOR THE AIRPORT PROJECT.
THE AGREEMENT MARKS A NEW AND POSITIVE PHASE IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND ALSO, MOST IMPORTANTLY, BETWEEN CHINA AND HONG KONG. AS SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN RELEVANT CHINESE LEADER SQUARE BRACKETS END SAID SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN THE MOST POSITIVE REMARKS. SQUARE BRACKETS END. THIS AGREEMENT HAS OPENED
THE WAY TO A GENERALLY MORE CO-OPERATIVE AND FORWARD-LOOKING RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, AND I AM SURE YOU WILL ALL WANT TO GRASP THE OPPORTUNITIES IT OFFERS.
SQUARE BRACKET BEGIN MORE DETAILS OF VISIT AS APPROPRIATE SQUARE BRACKET END.
HOWEVER EVEN AFTER THE LIFTING OF THE CLOUDS OVER THE NEW AIRPORT, I AM VERY CONSCIOUS THAT THERE REMAIN OTHER MATTERS OF SERIOUS CONCERN TO YOU ALL. THE GOVERNOR AND MEMBERS OF EXCO HAVE BRIEFED ME THOROUGHLY ON CURRENT PROBLEMS, AND ON WHAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE DOING ABOUT THEM, AND WE HAVE DISCUSSED WHAT
BRITAIN CAN DO TO HELP. LET ME PAY A SINCERE TRIBUTE HERE TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, TO THE GOVERNOR, TO YOU, CHIEF SECRETARY, AND TO THE ENTIRE CIVIL SERVICE FOR YOUR TIRELESS COMMITMENT TO PROMOTING THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE
DEDICATION AND EFFICIENCY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS TYPICAL
OF HONG KONG AS A WHOLE.
A CRUCIAL ELEMENT IN LAYING THE FOUNDATIONS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE SUCCESS IS CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. NEXT WEEK THE LEGCO ELECTIONS WILL TAKE PLACE. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THERE WILL BE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO. ALSO FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE NEW LEGCO WILL HAVE A MAJORITY OF ELECTED MEMBERS. I HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE A LARGE TURN-OUT OF VOTERS. THIS WILL BE AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR HONG KONG: AND I AM SURE THAT THE POLITICAL MATURITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL ENABLE THEM TO TAKE IT
IN THEIR STRIDE. I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU DO NOT THINK THE PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION HAS BEEN FAST ENOUGH. OTHERS OF YOU, I BELIEVE, ARE CONCERNED THAT CHANGES MAY HAVE COME ABOUT TOO QUICKLY, AND THAT DIRECTLY-ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS MIGHT HAVE A DESTABILISING
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