Hong Kong (Hansard, 14 April 1993)

§ 16. Mr. Colvin
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when and where he intends to have talks with the Government of the People's Republic of China on the development of democracy in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mr. Goodlad
We and the Chinese Government announced yesterday that talks on Hong Kong's electoral arrangements will begin in Peking on 22 April. Our aim will be to reach an understanding with the Chinese side on arrangements which will ensure that elections are fair, open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. If we can reach such an understanding, we and the Hong Kong Government will recommend it to Hong Kong's Legislative Council. It will be for that body to pass the necessary legislation.

§ Mr. Colvin
Will my right hon. Friend confirm that although it was the Governor who tabled the proposals for constitutional change in Hong Kong, those proposals were, none the less, the recommendations of Her Majesty's Government and have the broad support of hon. Members on both sides of the House? Furthermore, they are within the Basic Law. If the People's Republic of China thinks otherwise, it would help the proposed talks if the Chinese were to be specific about the respects in which they think that the proposals depart from the Basic Law so that those matters can be addressed in detail before the talks take place.

§ Mr. Goodlad
My hon. Friend is correct in every particular.

§ Mr. Kaufman
The Minister keeps talking about reaching an understanding with China. Is it not a fact that any understanding with China can result only in a further watering down of proposals that were already grossly inadequate in terms of what the Hong Kong Legislative Council and OMELCO have asked for? Is it not also a fact that continual caving in to Chinese tactics of delay and dilution will result in there being very little democracy indeed to be handed over in 1997?

§ Mr. Goodlad
The right hon. Gentleman's views are well known to the House. I can reiterate only that the outcome of the talks will be placed before the Legislative Council in Hong Kong and will, we hope, be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong.