TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 16

14-JUL-1993 14:37

Gallagher

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TRANSCRI PT MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD

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SELECT COMMITTEE 14 JULY 93

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Westminster style democracy now, to those who regard Western style

political pluralism as being undesirable in the context of Hong

Kong and China, and inbetween those there is every possible

variant of opinion. But I think what we have got to do with the Chinese side is fill in the gaps in what has already been agreed

in a way that represents the aspirations of the great bulk of

people in Hong Kong.

CHAIRMAN:

The one thing this committee or its predecessors have learnt from

visiting Hong Kong and trying to follow these issues is that

developments there tend to set their own agenda and that people's relations with a future government after 1997 are going to be

developed one way or another whatever the British may say. Is

there a danger that Hong Kong could become ungovernable as we move

towards this unique moment in history when the shadow of a future

government becomes so long and so strong that the present

government finds it difficult to govern?

MR GOODLAD:

I think you can look at a number of scenarios from a worst case to

a best case. The technical position is that Britain is

responsible for the administration of Hong Kong up to July 1997 with the object of maintaining its prosperity and social stability and of course we intend to carry out that responsibility and are confident of our ability to do so with the Hong Kong government.

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