TNAG-2456-FCO40-3577-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-presentation-1992 — Page 52

and political parties.

Britain and China are agreed that Hong

Kong's political system should develop. The Sino/British Joint Declaration of 1984 provides for Hong Kong's legislature to evolve from the all-appointed body which existed in 1984, to an all-elected body by 1997.

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but

So standing still is not an option. Whenever I am in Hong Kong, I find widespread support for more democracy democracy that will last beyond 1997. There is not much point in straining to set up new democratic structures in the last

years of British rule only to see them lapse in 1997 because they are out of kilter with the provisions of the Basic Law (China's constitutional document for Hong Kong after 1997).

The simplest way to meet the wishes of Hong Kong people for more democracy would be to increase the number of directly

elected seats at the Legislative Council elections in 1995

from the 20 envisaged in the Basic Law. To ensure a smooth

transition in 1997, it would be necessary for the Chinese

authorities to make a matching change in the Basic Law. That would be welcomed in Hong Kong. I urged the Chinese Foreign

Minister to do this when I saw him in New York last month. shall continue to do so vigorously. But the Chinese do not

want to change the Basic Law.

So

it makes sense to look at alternative approaches in parallel. Chris Patten set out in his speech proposals for the 1995 elections which are fully consistent with the terms of the Basic Law. These include: - lowering the voting age

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We

to 18 (it is already 18 in China as well as Britain); moving to a system of one vote for one candidate in one

constituency; introducing a broader franchise for the extra

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9 "functional constituencies" which will be needed in 1995 if

the Legislative Council is to match the provisions of the Basic Law; Chris Patten suggests that every working member of

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