TNAG-2703-FCO40-3909-Memoirs-of-Sir-Percy-Cradock--diplomat-and-sinologist-1993 — Page 32

principles and, after their experience of October 1992, may

well seek written understandings covering the remaining

years of British rule in order to guard against further

surprises. They are in a strong position, not least because

of the time

pressures on the Hong Kong government if

legislation is to be introduced in time for the 1994-5

elections. But they will probably be prepared to make some

concessions, particularly on the economic side.

The British, as in 1982, will seek to escape the

net of principle and concentrate on detail; but, in the

nature of things in Hong Kong, they have been dealt the

weaker hand and the larger concessions will no doubt be

expected from them. These will

These will involve hard decisions,

balancing retreats from democracy as promised by the

Governor against the effects on Hong Kong of permanent

confrontation. There will always be the option of

withdrawal from the talks and appeal to the Legislative

Council; but such a break would probably prove

irretrievable; and the consequences would be so serious and

so unwelcome to Hong Kong, which remains after all the whole

object of the exercise, that it must be presumed that this

will remain the remoter contingency and that an eventual

agreement will be reached.

If an agreement is attained, it will no doubt be

argued by many on the British side that the results, however

small, were well worth the losses inflicted on Hong Kong

and on Sino-British relations in the course of the crisis,

indeed that the result could not have been obtained in any

other way. It may be claimed that only thus could honour be

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