CONFIDENTIAL
006205 MDHIAN 1260 \
IDENTIFYING A PROPER AND SERIOUS INTERLOCUTOR WITH WHOM HE COULD SPEAK CANDIDLY. CHINESE OFFICIALS IN HONG KONG, HE AGREED, WERE ESSENTIALLY CONDUITS: IF PEKING WERE TO PUT IN SOMEONE ELSE IT WOULD BE A USEFUL INDICATOR OF THE PROGRESS THE GOVERNOR WAS MAKING.
5. SINGAPORE MINISTERS THOUGHT THE PRC ALSO WANTED A VIABLE HONG KONG BUT NOT AT ANY COST. SINGAPORE MINISTERS EMPHASISED THE SCOPE FOR MUTUAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS. LEE KUAN YEW DOUBTED WHETHER PEKING HAD REALLY UNDERSTOOD THE ARRANGEMENTS IT HAD SIGNED UP TO IN 1984: THEY HAD NO CONCEPT OF THE RULE OF LAW. HE ENJOINED CAUTION ON ANY
BILL OF RIGHTS IN HONG KONG. LEE KUAN YEW AND GEORGE YEO REFERRED TO SINGAPORE'S POWERS TO DETAIN SUBVERSIVES OR OPPONENTS WITHOUT TRIAL. IN DISCUSSION OF HONG KONG'S INSTITUTIONS AND THE PRESSURE FOR MORE DEMOCRACY, THE PRIME MINISTER AND LEE KUAN YEW BOTH NOTED
PEKING'S FEARS THAT POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN HONG KONG MIGHT BE
DESIGNED TO GENERATE CHANGE IN CHINA ITSELF. BOTH AFFIRMED THAT IT WAS IN NO-ONE'S INTEREST FOR CHINA TO FRAGMENT AS THE SOVET UNION HAD. LEE KUAN YEW ASKED WHAT CHINA'S BOTTOM-LINE WOULD BE, THOUGHT THEY WOULD APPLY ANY PRESSURE SHORT OF INVASION BUT, IF REALLY CONCERNED, WOULD OPT FOR SUBVERSION. HE STRESSED THE NEED FOR A TIGHT GRIP ON THE ORGANS OF POWER, ESPECIALLY THE SECURITY SERVICES AND ANTI-CORRUPTION UNITS.
6.
SINGAPORE INTEREST IN A VIABLE HONG KONG AND WILLINGNESS TO HELP SHORE UP CONFIDENCE WAS REPEATED (THOUGH MR GOH NOTED THAT INVESTMENTS WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE A PROPER RETURN). GEORGE YEO SHOWED PARTICULAR INTEREST IN DEVELOPING BILATERAL CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO ADMINISTRATIONS: THESE COULD BE HELPFUL POST 1997 IN GIVING HONG KONG AN ADDITIONAL POINT OF REFERENCE OTHER THAN LONDON OR BEIJING. SINGAPORE AND HONG KONG WERE NOT COMPETITORS (A EUROPEAN MISCONCEPTION): THEIR ECONOMIC INTERESTS WERE COMPLEMENTARY AND THEY SERVED DIFFERENT NICHE AREAS OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.
MINISTERS SPOKE OF CHINA'S INTEREST IN SINGAPORE AS A NON-THREATENING, SUCCESSFUL OVERSEAS CHINESE MODEL OF A FREE MARKET ECONOMY. SINGAPORE WAS RECEIVING 'AN ENDLESS STREAM OF VISITORS' NON-IDEOLOGICAL AND KEEN, FROM PEKING AND THE PROVINCES TO STUDY ASPECTS OF SINGAPORE'S SYSTEM (STOCK-EXCHANGE, LAND LEASING, HOUSING, LEGAL STRUCTURE, NATIONAL INSURANCE SAVINGS SCHEMES). PROCESS OF ECONOMIC CHANGE IN CHINA WOULD BE SLOW BUT SINGAPORE FELT IT WAS IRREVERSIBLE
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