TNAG-2469-FCO40-3593-Most-favoured-nation-status-for-China-Hong-Kong-interests-1992 — Page 153

25 November 1992

MMB 091/2

M

25/11

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SW1A 2AH

From The Secretary of State

Whitne "Miss qu

Dear Senator,

་

Pe

4/12

ohr

Thank you for your letter of 5 November to John Major.

I welcome your support for Chris Patten's proposals

for broadening democracy in Hong Kong. We are 100% behind him. Vigorous democratic institutions will be crucial in preserving Hong Kong's way of life for the future. The Government's proposals are fully consistent with the

Sino-British Joint Declaration and China's Basic Law for

Hong Kong after 1997. The Chinese have reacted strongly against them. However, we are urging them to put away the megaphone, engage in discussion with us, and where they disagree to put forward alternative proposals.

Wl06

Much depends on what the people of Hong Kong

themselves want. If they have their own ideas on democratic arrangements, Chris Patten will want to consider these. In any case, Hong Kong's Legislative Council will need to take decisions on electoral arrangements in the

first part of next year.

We will be giving very high priority to maintaining

Hong Kong's success in the last years of British sovereignty and beyond 1997. As you say, the United States also has important interests in Hong Kong. I hope that

these will be taken fully into account when Congress next

The Honorable Paul Simon