TNAG-2494-FCO40-3626-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 28

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154 1 MDHIAN 125

THAT YOU WERE SURPRISED BY THE WAY IN WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE HAD RESPONDED. ZHU HAD REPLIED THAT IT WAS HE WHO WAS SURPRISED. HOW COULD A PLAN WHICH RAN COUNTER TO THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW BE MADE PUBLIC WITHOUT CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE

SIDE ?

5.

YOU HAD ARGUED THAT THE INTENTION WAS TO SPEED UP THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT: THE OPINION POLLS SHOWED THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE IN FAVOUR.

ZHU HAD EXPLAINED THAT IT WAS NOT A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. THE BASIC LAW CONTAINED DETAILED PROVISIONS FOR THIS. BUT BRITAIN HAD RULED HONG KONG FOR 152 YEARS WITHOUT INTRODUCING DEMOCRACY. WHY HAD WE SUDDENLY DECIDED TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS ? ZHU ADDED THAT ONE SHOULD NOT PUT TOO MUCH CREDENCE ON OPINION POLLS: THERE HAD RECENTLY BEEN ONE IN THE UK SUGGESTING THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS ABOUT TO COLLAPSE.

6.

APART.

t

ZHU REPEATED THAT THE POSITIONS OF THE TWO SIDES REMAINED FAR BUT HE FELT THAT HIS TALKS IN LONDON HAD HELPED TO INCREASE UNDERSTANDING AND HAD IN THAT SENSE BEEN BENEFICIAL. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD EXPLAINED THAT A QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE WAS AT STAKE AND CHINA WOULD NOT GIVE IN. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SAID IT WOULD PERSIST WITH ITS PLAN. EACH SIDE THEREFORE KNEW WHERE THE OTHER STOOD. THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD STICK TO THE JOINT DECLARATION AND TO THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS. THEY HOPED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD RETURN TO THE TRACK OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

7.

AS FOR THE PROSPECTS FOR SINO-BRITISH TRADE, ZHU SAID HE WAS ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC. AFTER HIS TALK AT CHATHAM HOUSE IN LONDON, HE HAD BEEN ASKED WHETHER THE HONG KONG QUESTION WOULD AFFECT SINO-BRITISH TRADE. HIS ANSWER HAD BEEN (IN ENGLISH) 'WE'LL WAIT AND SEE'. HE HAD SAID THIS BECAUSE CHINA WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING WHICH WOULD AFFECT TRADE. BUT IT WAS NECESSARY TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE EFFECTS OF BRITISH ACTIONS WOULD BE. CHINA WOULD DO ITS BEST TO PROMOTE THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRADE, ECONOMIC RELATIONS AND TECHNICAL COOPERATION.

8.

AFTER SOME MORE DETAILED COMMENTS FROM ZHU ON TRADE MATTERS, SIR M PALLISER SAID HIS POSITION WAS THE MIRROR IMAGE OF ZHU'S IN LONDON: HE HAD COME TO CHINA TO DISCUSS TRADE MATTERS, NOT HONG KONG. HE HAD HEARD WHAT ZHU HAD SAID AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN KNEW THAT THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS OVER HONG KONG. THEY NONETHELESS WISHED TO DEVELOP

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