Hong Kong and Taiwan (Hansard, 1 April 1996)

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, the positions of Taiwan and Hong Kong are very different. Under the terms of the 1984 Sino-British Joint 10 Declaration, Hong Kong will return to China in 1997, and China has guaranteed the continuation of Hong Kong's way of life for 50 years.

§ Lord Skidelsky
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that reply. Does my noble friend agree with me that China's recent bullying of Taiwan and its determination to scrap the recently elected LegCo, to replace it with an appointed body and to extract a pledge of loyalty to that body from Hong Kong's senior civil servants raise serious doubts about its commitment to freedom and democracy? I ask my noble friend specifically what steps, if any, the Government intend to take to protect the existing LegCo and the electoral arrangements which created it, beyond the date of the handover of Hong Kong to China next year.

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, we are all well aware that the Chinese exercises against Taiwan were intended to influence the Taiwanese electorate in the run-up to the presidential election on 23rd March and to try to condition the approach of the victor to the China-Taiwan contacts. I believe that the scale of the exercises discredited once and for all China's earlier emphasis on peaceful reunification. Certainly, the bullying did not work. I understand my noble friend's serious doubts, but it is perfectly clear, as my right honourable friend the Prime Minister said to the Chinese Prime Minister at their meeting in Bangkok on 29th February, that our view is that the members of LegCo, elected last year, should be allowed to serve their full four-year term. We have told the Chinese that there is no justification for the establishment of a provisional legislature. We shall continue to urge them to reconsider this. Meanwhile, we stand by our commitment to work with the legitimate legislature, which is LegCo. We shall certainly continue to keep the interest in this matter, which has been expressed by many friendly countries, and we shall watch very carefully what is happening.

§ Baroness Blackstone
My Lords, perhaps I may pursue the question of the noble Lord, Lord Skidelsky, a little further with the Minister. Can she say what the British Government's response is to the latest move by the Chinese Government in demanding that Hong Kong civil servants support the Peking-appointed provisional legislative council after takeover? Have any representations been made to the Chinese Government since the Prime Ministers' meeting in Bangkok at the end of February?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
Yes, my Lords, we have made it quite clear that any move to create a conflict of loyalties would be damaging to the confidence of the Civil Service and for Hong Kong. We have made inquiries of the Chinese. We continue to find out exactly what they are seeking to say. As soon as we have a better understanding of what they are saying, apart from their threats, I shall be able to say a little more. We are well aware of the very serious implications of their remarks should they be carried through.

§ Lord Avebury
My Lords, will the Minister confirm that the recent missile tests and military exercises in the neighbourhood of the Taiwanese coast by the Chinese authorities constitute a breach of the United Nations Charter which prohibits the threat of the use of force? Can she say what mechanism exists within the United Nations' system for countering these threats of aggression where the aggressor itself is a permanent member of the Security Council?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, the supplementary question of the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, goes a little wide of the Question. All I can say to him is that these matters have not gone unnoticed. They are being discussed in New York, as I heard last week. No doubt the Security Council will, in its wisdom, come up with one of its famous answers.

§ Lord Wilson of Tillyorn
My Lords, does the Minister agree that despite some anxieties in Hong Kong which are understandable, and a good deal of friction with China, the development of Hong Kong remains remarkable? Does she further agree that there are many people in Hong Kong who are determined to make a success of the arrangements which come into force next year and the new relationship with China that that implies, and that this is an attitude which deserves support?

§ Baroness Chalker of Wallasey
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wilson of Tillyorn. He knows better than anyone how determined the Hong Kong people are to make a success of the economy which they have built up. When one meets businessmen, and even those from China, they too want to share in a similar success in the Special Administrative Region. Therefore, these people are to be praised and encouraged. We must carry on doing that. It is quite remarkable how confident people are. I saw that for myself last year. We should do everything we can to encourage that confidence and do nothing to undermine it.

§ Lord Mayhew
My Lords, will the Minister agree—