TNAG-2494-FCO40-3626-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 145

GF 323

11.

CONFIDENTIAL

7 -

機密

This approach would offer the following dividends:

(a) HKG would demonstrate once again the depth of

its commitment to the territory's social and

economic progress, as well as to its political

development.

As a result, CPG claims of a "British plot" to

ruin a colonial territory (e.g., India) would

look less credible.

(b)

"Ownership" of the package would be spread

across the senior ranks of HKG as a whole.

As a result, CPG claims of an "expatriate

clique"

foisting "alien" democracy on the

territory would look less credible.

(c)

The community would

be

reassured that HKG's

first concern was still how to provide the

best possible service to the public.

As a result, the CPG's warnings of impending

social

anarchy and economic

sound somewhat hollow.

CONFIDENTIAL

collapse

機密

would