HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 14 March 1984
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in reflecting opinion in Hong Kong, in advance of any proposed agreement gput to the U.K. Parliament.
I make no special claim for the extent to which the Council represents the will of the people of Hong Kong and so far as I am aware, no member of this Council has ever done so.
It is not necessary to do so to establish that we have a responsibility to address this issue, and the purpose of this motion is to reaffirm publicly our commitment to that responsibility.
My Unofficial Colleagues on this Council are drawn from a wide spectrum of local society. Outside this Chamber, we work on over 300 committees and boards engaged in all fields of public service activity, and our business and social contacts touch on all sectors of the community.
None of this gives us the status of elected representatives; we claim no right of veto. But since the talks commenced, we have received individually and through the UMELCO Office many representations on the future and we have faithfully reflected these to the Administration.
We shall continue to do this. But the message we have received loudly and clearly from the beginning is that the people of Hong Kong wish to maintain their present life-style, and continuity in the systems which preserve their present freedoms.
Bearing this in mind, I think we should pause and take stock of the position reached. Firstly, there is the joint commitment of Britain and China to a solution which will maintain the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong.
Secondly, and perhaps most important, there is the aim set by Her Majesty's Government to which I have just referred, that any agreement on the future of Hong Kong would be acceptable to the people of Hong Kong as well as to Britain and China.
My Unofficial Colleagues this afternoon will doubtless mention some of the factors they see as vital to achieving these aims.
Of key importance is that there should be a continuing healthy public discussion of the systems and machinery which are seen by Hong Kong people as essential to the maintenance of a stable and prosperous society here.
There is nothing magical in maintaining a British presence in Hong Kong, but the freedoms we now enjoy are at the heart of Hong Kong's success story.
The present formula is a proven one-proven by time. The unease arises from the prospect of change. We only seek to ensure that any changes take full account of the elements we see as necessary to secure the agreed common objective.