CONFIDENTIAL
101260
MDLIAN 4876
COULD NOT INTRODUCE DEMOCRACY AND THE WAY IN WHICH CHINA WOULD REACT. BRITAIN WAS SEEKING TO CREATE A SEPARATE HONG KONG IDENTITY. BUT THIS WAS ALL AGAINST THE QUOTE MECHANICS OF POWER UNQUOTE. QUOTE I'M CHINESE: I HAVE TO WORK THIS SYSTEM UNQUOTE. THE SYSTEM COULD BE MANIPULATED: IT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO BE BLATANT IN VIOLATING THE LAW: THROUGH THE PUBLIC SERVICES COMMISSION, THE RIGHT POLICE COMMISSIONER COULD BE INSTALLED AND LEGAL MEANS USED TO CONTROL DISSIDENTS. MEANWHILE, ALL THE ELITE OF HONG KONG WERE SUBSTANTIALLY INVOLVED IN BUSINESS IN CHINA.
9. MR RIFKIND GRANTED THE POWER OF SUCH PROCEDURES BUT THOUGHT THAT WE SHOULD STILL TRY. LEE SAID THAT TO DO SO WAS NOT A WISE DECISION AT THIS STAGE OF THE GAME. IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT IF WE HAD MADE THIS ATTEMPT BEFORE 1982 AND BEFORE MRS THATCHER HAD SPOKEN TO DENG. BUT AFTER THE BERLIN WALL AND THE ATTEMPTED COUP AGAINST GORBACHEV, WE WERE WAVING A RED FLAG AT CHINA. HONG KONG WOULD NOT BE GOVERNING ITSELF AFTER 1997 UNDER A CHINESE SUZERAINTY BUT WOULD BE RUN BY A CHIEF EXECUTIVE SUBJECT TO CHINA.
10. LEE HOPED THAT WE WOULD NOT DAMAGE HONG KONG HE DISAGREED WITH THE WAY OUR POLICY WAS BEING PURSUED. 30/40% OF CHINESE RANCOUR HAD BEEN A QUESTION OF STYLE. VERBANCY AND ASCERBICNESS WERE ALRIGHT IF PART OF A TRADITION. BUT CHINA HAD ELABORATE HONORIFICS AND FORMS OF CAUSING HURT: THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND IT WAS A STARTLING EXPERIENCE FOR THEM. IT WAS NOT PRODUCTIVE TO
GO ON THIS WAY.
COMMENT
LEE'S FERVOUR AND
11. THIS WAS LEE AT HIS MOST INTIMIDATING. INTELLECTUAL VIGOUR MADE IT DIFFICULT AT TIMES FOR MR RIFKIND TO GET A WORD IN. LEE WAS DISMISSIVE OF OUR ABILITY TO ACHIEVE ANYTHING MEANINGFUL POST' 97 AND MAY WELL HAVE ADVISED WINSTON LORD THAT THE US SHOULD KEEP OUT OF THE ARGUMENT.
DUGGAN
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