CONFIDENTIAL
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005104
MDHIAN 3411
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 22103OZ FCO
TELNO 2941
OF 22092OZ DECEMBER 92
TOP COPY Q DOT ?
INFO IMMEDIATE SINGAPORE, PEKING, WASHINGTON, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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MIPT: SINGAPORE TELNO 349 AND YOUR TELNO 1748: LEE KUAN YEW'S VIEWS ON HONG KONG AND CHINA: TEXT OF LETTER.
BEGINS
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1. I WAS GLAD TO SEE YOU IN HONG KONG AGAIN LAST WEEK. YOU WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT SOME OF YOUR COMMENTS UPON MY CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS AND THEIR GENESIS HAVE STIRRED UP CONSIDERABLE DEBATE. I THOUGHT IT WORTH WRITING TO CLARIFY ONE OR TWO POINTS.
2. FIRST, AS A MATTER OF SIMPLE FACT, I DID NOT CONSULT THE AMERICANS BEFORE PUTTING TOGETHER MY PROPOSALS ON CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM FOR HONG KONG. NOR DID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DO SO. NOR WERE THESE PROPOSALS DESIGNED IN LONDON BEFORE MY ARRIVAL IN HONG KONG. I HAVE MYSELF SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN CHINA, WHICH I DO NOT BELIEVE IS MY BUSINESS. WHAT I HAVE SAID TO THE CHINESE SINCE BEFORE MY ARRIVAL IS THAT HONG KONG HAS EVERY INTEREST IN SEEING STABILITY IN CHINA AND SUCCESS IN DENG XIAOPING'S REFORM PROGRAMME, AND NO INTEREST IN THE OPPOSITE.
3. I CAME TO HONG KONG WITH NO PRECONCEIVED IDEAS. MY AIM IN MY FIRST FEW MONTHS WAS TO GAUGE A POINT OF BALANCE AMONG VARIOUS VIEWS IN THE COMMUNITY AND TO DESIGN PROPOSALS WHICH WOULD STRIKE
THAT POINT OF BALANCE. IN THE PROCESS I TOOK FULL ACCOUNT OF THE BASIC LAW. MY PROPOSALS DO NOT ENVISAGE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN 1995. WHAT THEY DO SEEK TO ENSURE IS THAT WE HAVE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THESE CRITERIA HAVE BEEN
OPENLY SHARED BY LU PING.
4. I HAVE TO SAY THAT ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS WITH WHICH I AM
FACED IS THE PERCEPTION BY SOME IN PEKING THAT SOME KIND OF INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY EXISTS AGAINST CHINA, TO WHICH THE HONG KONG AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ARE PARTY. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT So, AND IT WOULD BE OF GREAT SERVICE IF FRIENDS OF HONG KONG LIKE
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