CONFIDENTIAL
3. As Mr Paul says, the main advantage of this otherwise unwelcome over-heating of the political atmosphere is that the CRC and their sympathisers are now prepared to say what they think publicly, not just behind closed doors. The ambiguity is now rather in the liberal camp. The logic of
their position on democracy and membership of ExCo is that they are prepared to risk a serious row with China and uncertainty over key aspects of the transition. It is unlikely that any of them in fact want that, but if they
admit it publicly the intellectual coherence of their
position is shot to pieces.
4. In the longer term our problem may turn out to be not
that the United Democrats oblige us to 'confront' China, but
that they lose heart, and the values they stand for fade
away in Hong Kong.
1. Saunders
KAM Saunders
KS1ADL/2
CONFIDENTIAL
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