16-SEP-1993 16:02
G.1.5.
+ 852 845 9078 P.007
THOSE DIFFERENCES DON'T AMOUNT TO AN ARGUMENT ABOUT DEMOCRACY. SOME PEOPLE THINK WE SHOULD BE HAVING THAT ARGUMENT. BUT I'M NOT, AND NOR IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, PROPOSING THE SORT OF DEMOCRACY WHICH MOST OF YOU AND I WOULD TAKE FOR GRANTED IN MOST COMMUNITIES AS SOPHISTICATED AS THIS. NOR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT SPEEDING UP THE ALREADY AGREED PACE OF DEMOCRATISATION. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING, WHAT WE'RE EVEN ARGUING ABOUT, IS MAKING THE EXISTING AGREED PROCESS OF GRADUAL DEMOCRATISATION CREDIBLE.
I AM DETERMINED THAT THE FINAL ELECTIONS HERE UNDER BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY SHOULD BE CLEAN ELECTIONS, NOT RIG ELECTIONS. THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THOSE ELECTIONS WHICH ARE FAIR, WHICH ARE OPEN AND WHICH ARE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. NOT A POINT OF ACADEMIC INTEREST. IT'S NOT AN ATTEMPT TO INTRODUCE DEMOCRACY LATE IN THE DAY. IT'S NOT AN ATTEMPT TO PROLONG BRITISH INFLUENCE PAST 1997. BUT I THINK THERE IS AN AXIOMATIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SURVIVAL, THE GUARANTEE OF THE RULE OF LAW HERE IN HONG KONG, AND A CREDIBLE ELECTORAL SYSTEM.
UNDERMINE THE ONE AND THE OTHER BEGINS TO CRUMBLE. FOR OUR PART WE'RE WORKING HARD FOR SUCCESS IN OUR TALKS WITH CHINA. I HOPE WE CAN REACH AN AGREEMENT WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO BRITAIN, TO CHINA AND TO THE SIX MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND ON THE WHOLE PROSPER IN HONG KONG. IF WE FAIL, IT WON'T BE FOR ONE OF TRYING ON OUR PART.
WANT
Ι GUESS THAT WHAT WE ARE SEEING IN HONG KONG ARE THE LAST PARAGRAPHS OF THE LAST CHAPTER OF BRITAIN'S COLONIAL HISTORY, A DIFFERENT CHAPTER TO MOST OF THE OTHERS WHERE WE'VE BEEN PREPARING COUNTRIES, COMMUNITIES FOR INDEPENDENCE. NEVERTHELESS, TO SOME EXTENT, I THINK THE ENTIRE STORY OF OUR COLONIAL PAST MAY BE SEEN THROUGH THE PRISM OF WHAT HAPPENS HERE. THAT'S NOT THE ONLY REASON WHY WE MUST MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT WE BEQUEATH THE BEST OF POSSIBLE FUTURES FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS TERRITORY. I THINK WE'LL BE JUDGED BY THE SORT OF FUTURE WHICH THEY ENJOY OVER THE DECADES TO COME.
A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE ECONOMIST HAD A COVER WITH THE PICTURE OF A YOUNG CHINESE GIRL ON IT AND THE HEADLINE "THE FUTURE BELONGS TO ME". WELL, WHO KNOWS ? I WAS ASKED TO WRITE A PIECE FOR THE ECONOMIST LAST WEEK, SAYING WHAT THE WORLD WOULD BE LIKE, OR WHAT EUROPE WOULD BE LIKE IN 150 YEARS. REMEMBERING HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO KNOW WHAT THE WORLD IS GOING TO BE LIKE IN 150 MINUTES, I WAS REMINDED OF THE IMPORTANCE OF A LITTLE HUMILITY WHEN ONE IS TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE.
BUT I DO BELIEVE AND DO THINK THAT THE FUTURE FOR CHINA AND HONG KONG SHOULD BE EXTREMELY BRIGHT. WE IN HONG KONG WILL DO OUR BEST ΤΟ MAKE IT BRIGHT BY HOLDING ON TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS OUR WINNING FORMULA MARKET ECONOMICS PRACTISED WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE RULE OF LAW. IT'S BEEN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION ELSEWHERE. IT'S AN UNBEATABLE COMBINATION HERE. IT'S A COMBINATION WHICH PROMISES A STABLE AND A FREE FUTURE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
PROSPEROUS, A
THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU THIS MORNING. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO A FURTHER REDUCTION IN YOUR AGGREGATE ASSETS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. IF IN THE MEANTIME, YOU'VE GOT ANY QUESTIONS, I'D BE DELIGHTED TO ANSWER THEM. BUT IT'S NOT MANDATORY.
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16/09/93-16:13
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