Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.wpost From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Democracy in Hong Kong= Date: Thu, 12 Nov 92 04:42:06 EST Message-ID: <33.1992Nov12.044207@AmeriCast.com> Democracy in Hong Kong= THE BRITISH are doing what they should do to prepare Hong Kong for being handed back to China in 1997. They are proposing to heavy up the democratic components of the colony's governance, the better to ensure that the democratic aspirations of its 6 million residents will not be swamped by reversion to authori- tarian Chinese rule. Not that the new proposals would make Hong Kong democratic in a Western sense. But there was less democratic procedure in the relevant British-Chinese hand-over accord than previous governments in London had used. Prime Minister John Major's man in Hong Kong, Christopher Patten, is now trying to change this. The new governor is described as the first practicing politi- cian to hold the post in Britain's 150 years in Hong Kong. His predecessors tended to be China hands, who, once the handover was set, believed it would go most smoothly by accommodating Beijing. But as a politician, Mr. Patten seems more interested in expand- ing Hong Kong's practical embrace of democracy. He means to use Hong Kong's immense economic value to China in order to bargain on his proposals, not to offer China preshrunk concessions. China's aged leaders, unaccustomed to such democratic sass, are vigorously abusing Mr. Patten and threatening economic reprisal. Some Hong Kong Chinese, including businessmen, are jittery; they prefer a transition quietly arranged between the leading people on both sides. But the broad public approves of what Gov. Patten is doing by more than 70 percent. It is being said that the current fuss threatens the smoothness of the 1997 transition. But this is not a mark against Mr. Patten's policy; it is a recommendation for it. Previously Hong Kong was proceeding smoothly into China's tight grip. Now China is being called upon to relax its grip. The British are not going back on their obligation to Beijing. They are going forward on their obligation to the people of Hong Kong. China wants smooth- ness? What better way than to receive a territory that is click- ing economically and is not seething in resistance to undemocrat- ic political structures thrust upon it? People who value democra- cy should not make excuses for Beijing to take it away from Hong Kong. 02:27 11-12C9999----- Copyright 1992, The Washington Post. This story is from the Washington Post's Capitol Edition On-Line and is not to be ar- chived or redistributed. For more information, send-email to American Cybercasting Cor- poration (usa@AmeriCast.COM)