November 1992
The Honourable Paul Simon
US Senator
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-1302
NSIO
SNSID Simon 23.11
Thank you for your letter of 5 November to John Major.
Chris Patter's
I welcome your support for the proposals Chris Patten has made for broadening democracy in Hong Kong. We are of course 100%
behind him. in support of what he is doing. Vigorous democratic
institutions will be crucial in preserving Hong Kong's way of
the Governorts life for the future. Chris Patter's proposals are fully
consistent with the Sino-British Joint Declaration and China's
However
Basic Дaw for Hong Kong after 1997. The Chinese have reacted strongly against them. But we are urging them to put away the megaphone, engage in discussion with us, and where they
disagree to put forward alternative proposals.
Much of course depends on what the people of Hong Kong themselves want. If they have their own ideas on democratic arrangements, Chris Patten will of course 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 comes to consider the question
hurdpaul.FUTkr
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