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077120
MDHIAN 543
A
KONG BACK IN 15 YEARS, THE PEOPLE WOULD NO LONGER HAVE REASON TO TRUST US, AND ANY CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO STEP DOWN AND VOLUNTARILY LEAVE THE POLITICAL ARENA. THEREFORE, AT THIS TIME I DON'T MEAN TODAY, OF COURSE BUT IN NO MORE THAN ONE OR TWO YEARS CHINA WILL OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCE ITS DECISION TO TAKE BACK HONG KONG. WE CAN WAIT ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LONGER.
IN A BROAD SENSE, CHINA'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF THIS POLICY DECISION WILL BE BENEFICIAL TO GREAT BRITAIN, BECAUSE IT WILL MEAN THAT 1997 WILL MARK THE END OF THE ERA OF BRITISH COLONIAL RULE, AND THAT WILL BE WELCOMED BY WORLD PUBLIC OPINION. SO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD SUPPORT THIS POLICY DECISION. THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO FIND A SATISFACTORY
SOLUTION TO THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG.
WE HOPE TO HAVE GREAT BRITAIN'S COOPERATION IN MAINTAINING PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG, BUT THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT CONTINUED PROSPERITY CAN ONLY BE ENSURED UNDER BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. MAINTAINING PROSPERITY IN HONG KONG DEPENDS ESSENTIALLY ON APPLYING APPROPRIATE POLICIES UNDER CHINESE ADMINISTRATION AFTER THE TAKEOVER. HONG KONG'S CURRENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS AND EVEN MOST OF ITS LAWS CAN REMAIN IN FORCE. OF COURSE, SOME OF THEM WILL BE MODIFIED. HONG KONG WILL CONTINUE TO BE RUN UNDER THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM, AND MANY OF THE APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS CURRENTLY IN USE WILL BE MAINTAINED. WE SHALL HAVE AN EXTENSIVE EXCHANGE OF VIEWS WITH PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE IN HONG KONG BEFORE FORMULATING THE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS AND BEYOND. THESE PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE NOT ONLY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BUT ALSO TO INVESTORS, AND FIRST OF ALL TO GREAT BRITAIN, BECAUSE THEIR INTERESTS ALSO WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. WE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL ENGAGE IN FRIENDLY CONSULTATIONS ON THIS QUESTION, AND WE SHALL BE GLAD TO LISTEN TO SUGGESTIONS PUT FORWARD BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. ALL THIS TAKES TIME. WHY MUST WE WAIT ONE OR TWO YEARS BEFORE ANNOUNCING HOPE OUR DECISION TO RECOVER HONG KONG? BECAUSE DURING THAT PERIOD WE HOPE TO CONSULT WITH ALL SORTS OF
PEOPLE.
THE MAIN CONCERN OF PEOPLE TODAY IS THAT IF PROSPERITY IS NOT MAINTAINED IN HONG KONG, IT MIGHT RETARD THE CHINESE DRIVE FOR MODERNIZATION. I THINK WE CANNOT SAY THAT THIS DEFINITELY WILL NOT HAPPEN, BUT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO SAY THAT THE NEGATIVE IMPACT WOULD BE VERY GREAT. IF CHINA DECIDED TO BASE THE SUCCESS OF ITS
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