ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the collective thought of our contributors on the subject of Hong Kong-Guangdong integration up to the first half of 1992. Without consulting Beijing, Governor Patten sparked the Sino-British conflict in October 1992 with his proposals seeking to increase the pace of democratization for Hong Kong. London argued that the committee should be made up of locally elected members, while Beijing insisted that it come from functional constituencies and appointed members. Patten had long warned that time was running out; if the talks led nowhere, he would have to present his proposals to the legislature as soon as possible in order to make preparations for the District Board elections in 1994 and Legislative Council elections in 1995. In mid-July, Governor Patten lashed out again at Beijing's declared intention of scrapping the elected Legislative Council when it takes over Hong Kong in 1997. It seems unlikely that the conflict over political reforms will be settled in the near future.
