CONFIDENTIAL
012675 MDL 35
STABILISE SOUTHERN CHINA: AND
(C) THE MANNER WITH WHICH THE PROPOSALS WERE PUT FORWARD RATHER THAN THEIR SUBSTANCE.
4. I EXPLAINED THAT MY PROPOSALS HAD BEEN DEVELOPED IN HONG KONG, HAD BEEN PUT FORWARD IN GOOD FAITH, AND HAD SOUGHT TO BALANCE THE VARIOUS REQUESTS OF DIFFERENT POLITICAL GROUPS. THEY WERE ALSO WHOLLY IN LINE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND BASIC LAW. I SAID I WAS WILLING TO CONSIDER NEW PROPOSALS AND DISCUSS MINE WITH ANYBODY. MY PROPOSALS WERE JUST A MODEST STEP TOWARDS FURTHER DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG, AND MY BOTTOM-LINE WAS TO ENSURE A CLEAN ELECTION IN 1995. I ALSO SAID MY PLAN WAS TO PRESENT THE FINAL PROPOSALS IN LEGISLATIVE FORM TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN FEBRUARY NEXT YEAR. CONSIDERABLE DEBATE WOULD TAKE PLACE THERE AND PERHAPS AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSALS MIGHT BE MADE BY MEMBERS.
5. THE VISITORS WERE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHETHER CHINA WOULD MAKE FURTHER AND STRONGER ATTACKS ON HONG KONG. I SAID SO FAR THE ATTACKS, ON CONTRACTS AND JARDINES, HAD ONLY SCARED THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY BUT HAD NOT YET AFFECTED THE ECONOMIC FUNDAMENTALS OF HONG KONG. CHINESE COMPANIES IN HONG KONG HAD ALSO BEEN FOREWARNED ON THE ATTACKS AND HENCE COULD HAVE MADE CONSIDERABLE PROFITS FROM THE STOCK MARKET. IT WAS NOT SURE WHETHER AND WHAT FURTHER ATTACKS WOULD BE MADE BY CHINA. IT WAS REMARKABLE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAD CONTINUED TO SHOW STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE POLITICAL PACKAGE BY A MARGIN OF ABOUT TWO TO ONE.
6. THE VISITORS ALL ASKED WHAT THE US COULD DO TO HELP. I SAID HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO ARGUE FOR THE RENEWAL OF MFN FOR CHINA WITHOUT CONDITIONS. MY VIEW WAS FIRMLY THAT TRADE AND POLITICS SHOULD BE SEPARATED. I DID NOT WANT TO INCREASE FURTHER CHINESE FEARS THAT THE PROBLEM OF HONG KONG WAS BEING INTERNATIONALISED.
7. THE US VISITORS MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS WHICH ARE WORTH NOTING.
LORD
8. IN ATTACKING BUSINESS INTERESTS IN HONG KONG, CHINA MIGHT ALSO BE THREATENING HER OWN INTEREST AND INTERNATIONAL COMMITMENTS, AS WELL AS HER RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES. THERE MIGHT BE A MORE ENLIGHTENED CHINA IN FUTURE. THE NEW US ADMINISTRATION WOULD HAVE A MORE FORWARD POSITION IN WISHING TO SEE MORE DEMOCRACY IN CHINA.
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