TNAG-2989-FCO40-3575-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-talks-betwee-1992 — Page 71

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RESOLVED THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG WHICH HAD BEEN LEFT OVER FROM HISTORY. THIS DECISION HAD LAID A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR HONG KONG'S SMOOTH RETURN TO THE MOTHERLAND AND FOR MAINTAINING ITS LONGTERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. MOREOVER, THIS DECISION HAD ADVANCED FRIENDLY RELATIONS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND HAD BEEN BENEFICIAL IN PROTECTING PEACE BOTH IN THE REGION AND IN THE WORLD. FROM THE 7 DOCUMENTS RECENTLY RELEASED IT IS CLEARLY SEEN THAT ALTHOUGH THE FORMULATION OF THE BL WAS AN INTERNAL MATTER FOR CHINA, CHINA HAD CONSENTED AND COOPERATED WITH THE BRITISH SIDE IN ORDER TO FIND COMMON GROUND FOR THE SAKE OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION IN 1997 AND HK'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. THE DOCUMENTS ALSO SHOW THAT THE TWO SIDES HAD REACHED AN UNDERSTANDING AND COMMON GROUND ON SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO DO WITH HK'S POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT.

'THE TWO SIDES SHOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR FRIENDLY COOPERATION ON HK ON THE BASIS OF THE JD AND THEREBY MOVE FORWARD. BUT REGRETTABLY SINCE MR PATTEN BECAME GOVERNOR, THE SITUATION HAS DEVELOPED AGAINST PEOPLE'S WISHES. THIS, ALTHOUGH MR PATTEN HAS REPEATED SEVERAL TIMES THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO BUILD UP GOOD AND FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH CHINA. HIS ACTIONS ARE CONTRARY TO HIS WORDS. ON THE IMPORTANT MATTER OF HK'S POLITICAL SYSTEM, THE HK BRITISH AUTHORITIES DID NOT FIRST CONSULT THE CHINESE SIDE BUT INSTEAD RELEASED THE CONTENTS OF HIS SO-CALLED CONSTITUTIONAL PLAN THROUGH THE PRESS AND THEN UNILATERALLY MADE THE PLAN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THROUGH HIS POLICY SPEECH.

MR

'THE JD STIPULATES THAT HK'S EXISTING SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEM WILL NOT CHANGE AND HK'S BASIC LEGAL STRUCTURE WILL NOT CHANGE. PATTEN'S CONSTITUTIONAL PLAN MAKES GREAT CHANGES TO THE WHOLE EXISTING SYSTEM: HE HAS CHANGED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EXCO AND LEGCO IN AN ATTEMPT TO TRANSFER GRADUALLY EXCO'S LEADING ROLE TO LEGCO. IT ALSO TRIES TO CHANGE THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTIONS TO FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE ELECTION COMMITTEE FROM INDIRECT TO DIRECT ELECTIONS. IF THESE ARE NOT MAJOR CHANGES, THEN WHAT ARE THEY? THIS METHOD OF IGNORING FACTS AND AGREEMENTS SHOWS THAT MR PATTEN HAD ADOPTED AN INDISCREET AND IRRESPONSIBLE ATTITUDE TO INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS.

'PATTEN HAS GIVEN AN APPARENTLY JUSTIFIED LABEL TO HIS SO-CALLED CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE, THIS IS 'EXPANDING DEMOCRACY AND ACCELERATING DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG'. IT IS WELL KNOWN TO ALL THE WORLD THAT OVER THE PAST 150 YEARS OF BRITISH RULE IN HONG KONG THERE HAS BEEN NO DEMOCRACY TO SPEAK OF THERE. BUT WHEN CHINA IS ABOUT TO RESUME ITS SOVEREIGNTY, THE BRITISH HONG

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