honouring it; first of all they get sovereignty over Hong Kong by the Joint Declaration, which is a very important prize. So I think the Joint Declaration will hold, and I think they will honour it up to the agreements in 1990 which cannot be changed.
Chairman: Two final questions. Mr Rowlands wants to put a final thrust and then Mr Sumberg and then we must go.
Mr Edward Rowlands: Do you think that the October 1992 proposals are basically in conflict with the Joint Declaration? Sir Alan Donald: I will just make one point if I may.
Certainly the agreement was between the Chinese and British Governments that in the second half of the transition period between 1984 and 1997 there would be closer consultation matters affecting Hong Kong, and that means what it says; that one would expect a growing convergence and a growing discussion of how to get the final transition over. So to the extent that it was announced unilaterally it was not in conformity of the spirit of the Joint Declaration.
Sir Richard Evans: Sir Alan has made the point which I was going to make. Of course all that the Joint Declaration says about the composition of the Legislative Council after 1997 is that it shall be constituted by elections, and this is all under a rubric of what China is going to do in elaboration of its own policies. If we, the British, propose filling in a bit more of the picture, that is not in itself in conflict with anything in the Joint Declaration. The question becomes whether it is a politically expedient thing to do.
Mr David Sumberg: The worrying thing is that Tiananmen did happen and despite the words, it did happen. Therefore the intentions of the Government of China are called into question because of it, after 1997. You both say that they have said they will honour everything they had signed, but is not that event still going to linger if not in our minds, because as Sir Percy said I don't think we are important, but in the minds of the people of Hong Kong?
Sir Alan Donald: Yes. We have had Tiananmen in this
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