TNAG-2733-FCO40-3939-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1993 — Page 4

PJ Ricketts, Esq 26 July 1993

CONFIDENTIAL

7. Comment: So there we have it. A swift impressionistic view of opinion among the business community.

The

Meanwhile of course the game has moved on. talks have been in session and little has emerged. The Chinese have in a sense won some of the propaganda battle. What little has emerged has been largely incomprehensible to a public hoping for a clear picture of what the future holds. Since it is now all down to details, small snippets emerging about functional constituencies, the election committee and the through train, many people will have lost the thread of the main argument. Somehow, if we are to carry people with us, we need again to ask the big questions publicly: What makes Hong Kong different from China? Where is the rule of law in China today? How can we really ensure that One Country, Two Systems ensures Hong Kong's future prosperity? If these questions get lost in apparent minutiae of arguments about the size of functional constituencies, it is not surprising that many in Hong Kong feel that Britain should stop being stubborn and allow them to "go on making money".

Your ever

Hyl

H Ll Davies

Cc:

G Fry, FED

DJ HaИ, PEP/DTI

P McLean, Peking

A C Galsworthy, UKREP, JLG

M Dinham, Government House (Personal)

CONFIDENTIAL

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