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Governor's role in talks confirmed:
The Governor would still play an active part in the negotiations over HK's future and would go to Beijing as soon as the talks reached a point at which his participation would be useful, the SCMP reported on Thursday. A Government Secretariat spokesman was responding to rumours that China would not particularly welcome Sir Edward's participation in the talks. The vice-chairman of the HK Belongers' Association, Mr. Sze Chusian, doubted whether the rumours were true, saying Sir Edward's participation would not harm China in any way. Several local left-wing sources, usually well-informed, denied any knowledge of the rumours, contained in Tuesday's Economic Journal. Another source doubted that China would already have so many set ideas on the future administration of HK. China had worked out the broad principle over HK's future, but not the nuts and bolts. Yet another source said he knew nothing of a proposal that, should there be any interference from Britain, the Bank of China, while willing to co-operate with the HK Bank and the Chartered Bank on the issue of currency, would consider working with Japanese and American banks instead. HKU lecturer, Dr. John Young, has called for a think tank on 1997 to research and represent HK's interests in a more systematic way. So-called local opinion had been dominated by businessmen and HK people felt their interests were not being well-represented in the negotiations.
Mr. Henry Litton:
The chairman of the Bar Association, Mr. Henry Litton, said the stability and prosperity of HK, which was founded on English law and which had guaranteed our prosperity for the last 30 years, could not continue if there was a radical change in the legal system. A letter in the HK Standard on Monday said Mr. Litton had said what lawyers had been saying in countless less publicised discussions ever since 1997 became the topic of the day.
Nationality Act: A senior Government official told the press on Wednesday that there was no immediate threat of Britain shutting its gate completely on HK despite the latest row over the Nationality Act. The Standard editorial on 20 April said fears of a mass exodus to Britain were more a hypothesis than a reality.
Civil Servants must keep calm: The leader in the SCMP on 21 April said the
current flap among junior civil servants about their future after 1997 was a reflection of the widespread uncertainty prevailing in the community over the outcome of the negotiations between Britain and China.
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