TNAG-2712-FCO40-3918-Parliamentary-relations-draft-White-Paper-on-Representative--1993 — Page 8

We are committed to cooperation with China on Hong Kong

and to fulfilling our obligations under the Joint Declaration. It is common sense that this is the best way to promote the

prosperity and stability of Hong Kong and to secure a smooth

transition. We look to the Chinese side to work with us to

achieve this. In particular we look forward to early agreement

on financing arrangements for the new airport and on Hong Kong's ninth container terminal. There is also a long agenda

of issues in the Joint Liaison Group which need to be dealt

with if continuity in legal and technical areas is to be

achieved. We shall continue to work for cooperation with China

to achieve full implementation of the Joint Declaration.

is in the best interests of a successful Hong Kong after 1997.

That

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statememt.8/BRIEFS/NJH

PART I: THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN

HONG KONG

a) Developments to 1984

1.

The unique circumstances of Hong Kong have determined the

development of its representative institutions. The policy of

Her Majesty's Government in the case of most other Dependent

Territories has been to promote the development of democracy in

preparation for eventual independence. But independence was never a realistic option for Hong Kong. Attitudes in the community reflected this reality. When relatively modest

proposals to develop democracy were made by the then Governor

in the period following the Second World War, they met with virtually no public support in Hong Kong. The territory's population had increased sharply, from about 600,000 in 1945 to 2.2 million by mid-1950. Most of these were migrants from

China, whose priorities were to make a decent living for

themselves and their families. In these early post-war years there was widespread concern that political activity would have

led to a replay in Hong Kong of rivalries in China between the

Nationalists and the Communists.

2. Some constitutional development was again considered in

the mid-1960s. But the Cultural Revolution in China caused

disruption and uncertainty in Hong Kong. Many in the community

feared that elections would lead to open rivalry between the

Communists and Nationalists which would have put at risk the

stability of Hong Kong, (there had been nationalist-inspired riots in Hong Kong in 1954, and communist-inspired riots in the

1960s). Local attitudes were also influenced by the knowledge

that China was opposed to the introduction into Hong Kong of party politics and elections on western lines. There was no

wish to provoke China into challenging the status quo in

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pursuit of her standing claim to sovereignty over Hong Kong.

3. The Hong Kong Government therefore sought to develop

greater popular participation in public affairs through a

network of consultation boards and committees, which provided advice on all areas of government activity. Elected

representation at local level was enhanced in 1973 with the establishment of the Urban Council, as a statutory body with

financial autonomy and a mix of elected and appointed members. In 1982 the District Boards were established as statutory

bodies on a territory-wide basis. The development of the local administrative structure was completed in 1986, with the

establishment of the Regional Council with functions in the New

Territories comparable to those of the Urban Council.

Elections to a proportion of the seats on these bodies were on a geographical constituency basis, with all residents of

21 years or over who had lived in Hong Kong for 7 years having

the vote.

b) 1984-1991

4.

Two issues in particular stimulated demand for a faster pace of democratisation. First, the Sino-British negotiations

over the future of Hong Kong which culminated in the Joint

Declaration signed in 1984. Second, the events of Tiananmen

Square in 1989.

5.

The Joint Declaration set the broad framework for Hong

Kong's democratic development. It laid down that the Legislature still fully appointed in 1984 - would be

"constituted by elections" in 1997. With that framework in

place, the Hong Kong Government issued a Green Paper as a basis

for public consultation on the next stage of development of

representative government. The subsequent White Paper

announced that membership of the 1985 Legislative Council would

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