TNAG-2918-FCO40-4193-The-internationalisation-issue--Hong-Kong-Department-paper---1993 — Page 14

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HONG KONG: INTERNATIONALIZATION Sable range

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1.

Thank you for copying this paper to me. useful and clear treatment of the issue.

3

I think it is a very

I have a few comments.

2. I think the paper somewhat underestimates the effect of international political pressure on the Chinese. This is not so much through high profile activities such as the declaratory policy discussed in paragraph 16 or initiating a debate in the UN as suggested in paragraph 17, but more of encouraging our friends and allies to continue to raise their concerns about Hong Kong with the Chinese both before and after 1997. This would perhaps build on the last phrase in the first of the conclusion that the most effective forms of pressure on the Chinese relate to China's economic interest and its international standing. This kind of political pressure has had some effect on China in other respects. The most obvious is perhaps that of human rights. Although the Chinese continue to hold to the position in theory that human rights are a matter of purely internal concern, they are nonetheless showing themselves more and more ready to enter into some form of dialogue with other countries. In particular there is evidence to suggest that their treatment of certain human rights cases has been affected by their wish to make a good impression on other countries, notably the United States. This form of international pressure is likely to be especially important after 1997 when it will, I think, be important that China is aware that the international community is keeping a close eye on developments in Hong Kong, and not solely those of an economic nature.

The

3. I think it might be worth spelling out in a little more detail the reason for Chinese concerns about internationalization, especially if we are going to distribute this paper to posts who have not been following the Hong Kong question that closely. first point is China's concern to be seen to be exercising its exclusive national sovereignty over Hong Kong. This has long historical roots dating back to the Opium Wars and the Western exploitation of China. China now sees any attempt to "internationalize" the Hong Kong issue as a reflection of the deep-rooted foreign, and particularly Western, attempts to dominate China. This is now closely allied to the more recent fears that the Western countries, and particularly the United States, are engaged on an attempt to undermine the present Chinese state through a policy of "peaceful evolution" As you know, certain American public figures have openly referred to this policy of "peaceful evolution". The Chinese are highly suspicious of attempts to introduce greater democracy to Hong Kong, partly because they feel that this is a first step towards foisting such values upon their own system.

4.

The paper focuses correctly on the position that we face at the moment. It is clear that MFN remains the most effective means of leverage over China. As the paper brings out we are in a rather

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