TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 105

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directly-elected seats in the Legislative Council laid down in the

Basic Law. We have put this to the Chinese side, most recently

when the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary met the Chinese

Foreign Minister in New York in September 1992. But as noted

above, the Chinese position remains that the Basic law cannot be

changed.

15. The Governor has therefore set out an alternative package of proposals, aim to make Hong Kong's system more fair and

democratic, while remaining within the terms of the Basic Law. They include:-

voting age to be reduced from 21 to 18;

voting system for geographical constituencies to be single seat, single vote;

creation of an Independent Boundary and Election Commission; franchise of functional constituencies to be greatly extended; - Election Committee (which under the Basic Law is to elect 10

members of the Legislative Council which under the through train

approach make the transition in 1997) to be composed of people who

have themselves been elected (eg District Board members).

16.

The Governor's proposals were favourably received by people in Hong Kong, and successive motion debates in the Legislative

Council on issues related to these proposals have resulted in votes supporting the Governor's approach. Opinion polls show support in the community is still running at about 2:1 in favour,

in spite of a sustained campaign of opposition to the Governor and his proposals from China. The business community in Hong Kong has

been unsettled by China's hostile reaction. But the economic fundamentals and underlying business confidence in Hong Kong remain strong.

17.

We and the Governor have said that his proposals were not final decisions, and that we were open to alternative proposals, either from Hong Kong people, or from the Chinese side. Many

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