Exchange is that in fact they were inconclusive on these other points. I
think that now that the Basic Law has been adopted in the form that it has
one
can say that the 1990 Exchange has now been overtaken.
56.
Would you not say that there was some merit in the view that
says well, yes, certain aspects were inconclusive and therefore it was
necessary to carry on talking rather than come forward with proposals which
could be regarded as a breach of faith as it was put to us?
(Mr Chamberlain)
I certainly do not accept that. I think that the
proposals which were made by the Governor in 1992, and the Governor made
this absolutely clear at the time, were proposals and that they needed to
be discussed with the People's Republic of China. This is indeed what is
Negotiations are going on and are continuing.
We are
happening now.
negotiating with the Chinese so it is not right to say that the Governor
should not have made these proposals or we were acting in bad faith. What
would be the alternative? The British and the Chinese side should have got
together and discussed these matters and then presented them to the Hong
Kong Government and the Hong Kong People as a fait accompli? We certainly
could not work in that way given the sophisticated society that Hong Kong
is. I venture to suggest that it would be politically impossible as well
as impractical because after all the Legislative Council of Hong Kong would
have to pass legislation to enact whatever agreement we may reach with the
Chinese and it would be far more difficult to persuade them to do that if
they had not been consulted in advance and were presented as I said with a
fait accompli.
Chairman: I want to come in a moment to an even closer focus on the
actual proposals but just following this question of prior consultation Sir
John Stanley wants to ask a question.
10
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