TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 114

17-MAR-1993 18:23

HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE

17-MAP-1930

17:43

G.1.5.

QUESTION:

852 521 1868

P.08

+ 850 810 1731

2.03

THAT

I AM WITH RADIO CHINA INTERNATIONAL. GOVERNOR CHRIS PATTEN SAID THAT 'IT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE DEMOCRACY FOR HONG KONG' HE HAS PUT FORWARD HIS CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE. THE CHINESE SIDE BELIEVES THAT THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IN THE DISPUTE BETWEEN CHINA BRITAIN IS NOT WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. QUESTION IS, WHAT IS CHINA'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG?

·

SO

AND

MY

OF

DIRECTOR:

OF

I THINK YOU HAVE PUT FORWARD A VERY GOOD QUESTION. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS ALL ALONG STOOD FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. HOWEVER, SINCE UNDER THE BRITISH RULE FOR MORE THAN 100 YEARS THERE WAS NO DEMOCRACY TO TALK ABOUT IN HONG KONG, SO THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG SHOULD ONLY GRADUAL. IT HAS BEEN STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW THAT IN THE END ALL THE MEMBERS HONG KONG'S LEGISLATURE WILL BE ELECTED THROUGH DIRECT ELECTIONS AND ALSO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF HONG KONG WILL BE ELECTED THROUGH

GENERAL ELECTIONS. NOW WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE GRADUAL? WE MEAN THAT *T SHOULD PROCEED GRADUALLY AND STEP BY STEP. OUR MAIN. PURPOSE IS TO ENSURE THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG. THERE ARE SPECIFIC PROVISIONS WITH REGARD TO THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN HONG KONG'S LEGISLATURE IN THE BASIC LAW AND THERE ARE SPECIFIC STIPULATIONS AS FOR HOW MANY MEMBERS SHOULD BE DIRECTLY ELECTED IN THE FIRST LEGISLATURE, THE SECOND ONE AND THE THIRD ONE. ACCORDING TO THE BASIC LAW A TOTAL OF 20 MEMBERS WILL BE ELECTED DIRECTLY FOR THE FIRST LEGISLATURE AND 24 FOR THE SECOND AND 30 FOR THE THIRD. WELL. THEN IN THE THIRD LEGISLATURE THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WILL AMOUNT TO ONE-HALF OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SEATS, WHICH IS 60.

AFTER THE THERE ARE

AS FOR THE COMPOSITION OF HONG KONG'S LEGISLATURE THIRD ONE, IT WILL BE UP TO HONG KONG ITSELF TO DECIDE. ALSO STIPULATIONS IN THE BASIC LAW IN THIS REGARD. THAT IS ONCE TWO- THIRDS OF THE MEMBERS OF HONG KONG'S LEGISLATURE ADOPT A RESOLUTION AND WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, THEN THEY CAN INTRODUCE THE METHOD ENSHRINED IN THAT RESOLUTION. AS SAR AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA IS CONCERNED, ALL IT HAS TO DO IS TO HAVE THIS METHOD LEGISLATED IN THE NATIONAL FEOPLE'S CONGRESS. IT DOES NOT NEED THE APPROVAL OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT. SO AS LONG AS WE WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE BASIC LAW, THESE WILL BE MATTERS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE HONG KONG SAR AND THE CHINESE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT WILL NOT SEEK TO INTERFERE IN THAT MATTER.