TNAG-2724-FCO40-3930-Hong-Kong-political-parties-United-Democrats-of-Hong-Kong-(U-1993 — Page 86

(g)

CONFIDENTIAL

5

Mr. Lee Wing-tat said it was clear from Lu Ping's TV

interview that the Chinese would not accept any

compromise. Therefore, amending the package now would

not lead to better Sino-British relationship. On the

other hand, given the current

with strong lobbying by the

would be passed. Immediately thereafter, relationship

support in LegCo and

Government, the bills

with the Chinese would worsen in the short term. But

the Chinese would eventually face the reality, as they

did in the cases of the Bill of Rights and the British

Nationality Scheme. They would then focus on how to

win seats in the 94/95 elections, and then on how to

set up the Preparatory Committee for the HKSAR in

1996, and sell it to the Hong Kong people. Mr. Lee

said they were worried that the Governor would sit

back and let LegCo amend the bills. This would end up

with an outcome that pleased no one. Mr. Albert Ho

said many businessmen had expressed the concern, in

private,

lose credibility if the

that HKG would

Governor backed down from his proposals.

(i)

Chinese

The Governor said that as it was possible to make the

angrier by, for example, replacing his

proposals with those of the UDHK's, it was conceivable

that the Chinese might find some alternative proposals

more acceptable.

He asked whether the Chinese would

CONFIDENTIAL