TNAG-2452-FCO40-3569-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 35

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014472

MDLIAN 58

mit what

INTERFERENCES COULD ONLY CAUSE TEMPORARY DIFFICULTIES AND HK WOULD RETURN TO CHINA AS SCHEDULED. HE SAID BL REQUIREMENTS

REFLECTED REAL PUBLIC OPINION.

5. A SIGNED COMMENTARY IN THE JANUARY ISSUED OF ''BAUHINIA MAGAZINE (29.12) CRITICISED RECENT SUGGESTIONS BY SOME PEOPLE THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA SHOULD EACH CONCEDE A STEP TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE. THE ARTICLE POINTED OUT THAT IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR MOTIVES, THESE PEOPLE HAD NOT DEFERENTIATED RIGHT FROM WRONG, IN PARTICULAR IN ASKING CHINA TO CONCEDE ON THE QUESTION OF

is being SOVEREIGNTY WOULD NOT BE OF HELP TO SOLVING THE PROBLEM. THE

asked

ARTICLE ALSO REFERRED TO REMARKS BY THE GOVERNOR THAT HIS CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS WERE NOT DESIGNED JUST FOR FIVE YEARS BUT 'SHOULD LOOK FORWARD TO 50 YEARS AFTER 1997' THE JD HAD CONFIRMED THE BRITISH SIDE HAD A RESPONSIBILITY TO HK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ''ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'' FOR 50 YEARS' AND THAT 'BRITAIN'S RESPONSIBILITY WOULD NOT CEASE ON 30 JUNE 1997'. THESE REMARKS, ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE, REPRESENTED A CHALLENGE TO THE JD AND INDICATED THAT BRITAIN WANTED TO EXTEND ITS COLONIAL RULE IN HK AFTER 1997.

6. REPORTS NOTED (30.12) THE ADPL PUT FORWARD A POLITICAL REFORM PROPOSAL. ITS CHAIRMAN, FREDERICK FUNG, SAID THE ASSOCIATION OPTED FOR A ''ONE MAN, ONE VOTE SYSTEM AND THEIR GUIDING PRINCIPLE WAS TO DESIGN A DEMOCRATIC SYSTEM WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE JD, BL AND BOR. ON FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, IT SUGGESTED THE SEAT FOR THE LONG ESTABLISHED HEUNG YEE KUK SHOULD BE SCRAPPED AND REPLACED BY A SEAT REPRESENTING THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY. THE 9 NEW FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES SHOULD REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF CULTURE/ENTERTAINMENT, THE OLD/INFIRM/DISABLED, AGRICULTURE/FISHERIES, WOMEN, STUDENTS AND THE LABOUR SECTOR BEING GIVEN FOUR MORE SEATS. ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, THE GROUP PROPOSED IT SHOULD COMPRISE 400 PEOPLE WITH EQUAL REPRESENTATION FROM THE BUSINESS SECTOR, PROFESSIONALS, GRASS ROOTS, RELIGIOUS SECTOR/POLITICIANS.

·

7 AN ARTICLE IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE BAUHINIA MAGAZINE

(30.12) ATTACKED THE GOVERNOR FOR PLAYING THE INTERNATIONAL CARD ON THE HK ISSUE. THE ARTICLE SAID AFTER THE COLD WAR AND THE BREAKING UP OF THE SOVIET UNION, BRITAIN HAD JOINED THE U.S. IN FORCING CHINA TO ''EVOLVE PEACEFULLY. THIS REFLECTED THAT

| BRITAIN AND SOME WESTERN POWERS FELT THREATENED BY CHINA'S STRONG

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THEY CALCULATED THAT IF THEY CREATED CHAOS IN HK, IT WOULD HAVE DETRIMENTAL EFFECTS ON CHINA'S ECONOMIC

Hardly well-matched

means

x ends. And Where does 'chaos' leave

But lion. intuests which there so hot on elsenter.

2

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