TNAG-2730-FCO40-3936-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 122

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MOLIAN 5094

CONTRACTS AND FRANCHISES STRADDLING 1997 IN THE JLG FOR DISCUSSION. AN ARTICLE IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF MIRROR MAGAZINE SAID IF LEGCO PASSED THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL REFORMS, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR PLANS, TAKE A SERIES OF STEPS TO PREVENT THE BRITISH HKG CREATING CONFUSION IN HK. THESE INCLUDED MEASURES TO PREVENT THE BRITISH HKG TO ARRANGE THEIR OWN PEOPLE TO ENTER THE FUTURE SARG AND SETTING UP A COMMITTEE TO IMPLEMENT THE BL. ON PUBLIC EXPENDITURE, CHINA WOULD PREVENT THE HKG FROM USING THE EXCHANGE FUND OR TRANSFER OF LARGE SUMS OF MONEY UNDER THE PRETEXT OF HUGE PROJECTS. IN ADDITION, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD MAKE PREPARATION FOR THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE AIRPORT COULD NOT BE COMPLETED, THE SHENZHEN AIRPORT WOULD BE EXPANDED WITHIN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME TO HELP EASE OFF KAI TAK'S LOAD. A VICE DIRECTOR OF NCNA HK ZHENG GUO XIONG WAS QUOTED BY TIN TIN DAILY (5.1) AS SAYING THAT SHOULD LEGCO PASS THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE IN FEBRUARY, THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD SET UP A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE TO GATHER VIEWS OF HK PEOPLE IN PREPARATION OF THE SAR PREPARATORY COMMITTEE IN 1996.

SURVEYS

12. A TELEPHONE SURVEY (2.1) CARRIED OUT BY THE JOINT ASSOCIATION OF PEOPLE'S ORGANISATIONS FOR THE PROMOTION OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT WAS NOTED BY THE PAPERS. THE SURVEY, CONDUCTED FROM 16-19 DECEMBER 1992, INTERVIEWED 542 PEOPLE. RESULTS SHOWED 52 PERCENT SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE, 30 PERCENT WERE AGAINST, AND 18 PERCENT HAD NO VIEWS. 90 PERCENT FELT HK'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD FOLLOW THE WISHES OF HK PEOPLE. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THEY THOUGHT CHINA WAS SINCERE IN IMPLEMENTING THE ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS' CONCEPT AFTER 1997, 42 PERCENT SAID YES AND 43 PERCENT NO. 50 PERCENT WERE OF THE VIEW THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SINCERITY IN IMPLEMENTING DEMOCRACY IN HK BEFORE 1997 AND 35 PERCENT DID NOT THINK SO.

13.

MING PAO PUBLISHED (4.1) RESULTS OF A SURVEY CONDUCTED ON 7- 11 DECEMBER 1992. RESULTS SHOWED THE POLITICAL CONFIDENCE INDEX HAD DROPPED TO 89 POINTS OUT OF 100 (COMPARED WITH 94 IN OCTOBER AFTER THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS). AS FOR THE ECONOMIC CONFIDENCE INDEX, IT HAD DROPPED FROM 96 IN OCTOBER 1992 TO 85. NO SAMPLE SIZE OF THE SURVEY WAS MENTIONED BY THE PAPER.

14. A SCMP SURVEY SHOWED PEOPLE EXPRESSING GENERAL CONFIDENCE IN HK'S FUTURE DECLINED FROM 76 TWO MONTHS AGO TO 67 PERCENT. THREE OUT OF FOUR PEOPLE ATTRIBUTED THEIR LACK OF CONFIDENCE TO THE

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