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30 The Years Between, 1992-199 7 m h e disagreemen t ove r th e change s t o th e electora l syste m ha d • unhapp y consequences . China took the dispute so seriously tha t m threat s wer e mad e no t onl y t o derai l th e 'throug h train ' bu t tha t • contract s an d agreement s entere d int o b y th e governmen t befor e • th e transfer would have to be re-examined after. On reflection i t was realised tha t this would damage both Hong Kong's and China' s interest s and the threat was allowed quietly to evaporate, but not before it sent the stock market into pessimistic decline. The Jardine Group, however, was singled out for its rumoured support for Mr Patten and for earlier shifting its domicile out of Hong Kong. China objected t o the participation of the group in the consortium t o build th e next containe r terminal . As a result, thi s huge undertaking was held u p for many years until a rearrangement of consortium members took place and a compensatory arrangement for Jardines had been agreed. Even now as I write in 2002, the sea is still being filled in for the terminal ! This heightened political atmosphere spilled over into our own lives. Five year s previousl y I ha d bee n appointe d chairma n o f th e Housin g Authority by Governor David Wilson on the recommendation of his Chief Secretary, David Ford, and so I was a left-over fro m th e pre-Patten era . I had thought for some while that the time had come for a Chinese chairman to take over the appointment t o an organisation responsible for housin g half the people of Hong Kong. The government had replaced expatriate s with Chines e for most important appointed chairmanships . 30 The Years Between, 1992-1997 he disagreement over the changes to the electoral system had unhappy consequences. China took the dispute so seriously that threats were made not only to derail the 'through train' but that contracts and agreements entered into by the government before the transfer would have to be re-examined after. On reflection it was realised that this would damage both Hong Kong's and China's interests and the threat was allowed quietly to evaporate, but not before it sent the stock market into pessimistic decline. TheJardine Group, however, was singled out for its rumoured support for Mr Patten and for earlier shifting its domicile out ofHong Kong. China objected to the participation of the group in the consortium to build the next container terminal. As a result, this huge undertaking was held up for many years until a rearrangement of consortium members took place and a compensatory arrangement forJardines had been agreed. Even now as I write in 2002, the sea is still being filled in for the terminal! This heightened political atmosphere spilled over into our own lives. Five years previously I had been appointed chairman of the Housing Authority by Governor David Wilson on the recommendation ofhis Chief Secretary, David Ford, and so I was a left-over from the pre-Patten era. I had thought for some while that the time had come for a Chinese chairman to take over the appointment to an organisation responsible for housing half the people of Hong Kong. The government had replaced expatriates with Chinese for most important appointed chairmanships. Feeling the Stones I was linked t o th e colonia l period. Th e problems we were dealin g with might not be any easier for a Chinese chairman t o solve — makin g those who could afford i t pay double rent, finding flat s for single people and th e elderly, rehousing squatters and dealin g with a long waiting list — but the hard solution to these questions might be more acceptable and believable comin g fro m on e o f thei r ow n people . Ther e als o ha d bee n hints, in order to silence me, that as chairman of the Housing Authority 1 should no t spea k ou t o n politica l developmen t a s I had been doing . I n any case my views were not welcome t o the government an d I now ha d little or no contact with th...

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