TNAG-2911-FCO40-4186-International-support-from-Asia-regarding-the-future-of-Hong-1993 — Page 76

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DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE CHINESE HAD NOT IDENTIFIED THE POINTS OF CONFLICT WITH THE BASIC LAW AND JOINT DELCARATION. MR GOODLAD POINTED OUT THAT THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO. BRITAIN WANTED AN ORDERLY TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY WHICH PRESERVED STABILITY. THERE HAD BEEN ROWS WITH CHINA BEFORE EG ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND NO DOUBT WOULD BE AGAIN.

5.

LKY ARGUED THAT THIS TIME WAS DIFFERENT. A ROW BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN MIGHT BE CONTAINABLE. BUT A ROW BETWEEN CHINA AND THE

IT WAS UNCLEAR HOW PRESIDENT

US WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT ALL ASIA. CLINTON WOULD DEAL WITH THIS ISSUE BUT HE BELIEVED THAT THE US WOULD PRESS CHINA OVER HONG KONG. COME 1997, HE REITERATED, WHAT WAS THE PROFIT? ALL CHINA NEEDED TO SAY WAS THAT THE 1995 ELECTIONS WERE INVALID UNDER THE BASIC LAW AND THAT FRESH ONES WOULD BE HELD IN 1997. MR GOODLAD AGREED IT WAS BETTER TO KEEP THE US OUT OF THE ARGUMENT (IF SO, SAID LKY, YOU HAVE LOST), SUPPORT CHINA ON MFN AND POINT OUT THAT CHINA HAD SIGNED UP TO DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. LKY SUGGESTED THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT UNDERSTOOD WHAT THEY HAD SIGNED UP TO: THE CONCEPT OF THE RULE OF LAW WAS BEYOND THEM. ONCE CHINA TOOK OVER, THERE WOULD BE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AMBIENCE IN HONG KONG. THE CONCEPT OF AN EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE LEGISLATURE WAS ALIEN TO CHINESE CULTURE AND HISTORY. MR GOODLAD OBSERVED THAT HONG KONG WAS UNIQUE. LKY AGREED. BUT ONCE ALL NON-CHINESE LEGCO MEMBERS WERE EXCLUDED, THE CHINESE AMBIENCE WOULD PREVAIL. THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD NOT APPLAUD DISSIDENT VOICES. LIKE SINGAPOREANS, THEY JUST WANTED GOOD GOVERNMENT.

6.

MR GOODLAD POINTED OUT THAT WE ALSO WANTED GOOD GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, LKY SAID THAT BRITAIN SHOULD HAVE MADE ANY CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES 20 YEARS AGO. MR GOODLAD SAID THIS HAD NOT BEEN FEASIBLE AT THE TIME. LKY COMMENTED THAT SUCCESSIVE GOVERNORS HAD TOLD HIM IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE. MR GOODLAD CONCLUDED THAT CHINA HAD SIGNED UP TO THE CONCEPT OF DEMOCRACY IN 1984.

FORD

YYYY

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