3. THE SECOND GENERAL COMMENT RELATES TO THE REPRODUCTION VERBATIM
OF WHOLE PASSAGES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS CONFERENCE
IN THE DRAFT SPEECH. THIS WILL CERTAINLY BE NOTICED HERE.
WHILE WE UNDERSTAND THE PTIFALLS, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER
ALTERNATIVE PHRASEOLOGY.
4. OUR MORE DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT FOR THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S SPEECH (YOUR TELNO 869) ARE LISTED BELOW:
PARA 6: WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE DRAFTING DIFFICULTIES, THE WORDING IS AMBIGUOUS, PARTICULARLY THE REFERENCE TO THE PRESENT SYSTEM'' AND THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS IS NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR. WE SUGGEST THAT THE FOLLOWING BE SUBSTITUTED FOR THE LAST THREE SENTENCES:
''I CAN ASSURE THE HOUSE THAT WE HAVE IMPRESSED THIS ON THE
CHINESE VERY STRONGLY. DURING THE EARLY STAGES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WE EXPLAINED IN DETAIL THE ADVANTAGES OF THE STATUS QUO AND TRIED VERY HARD AND OVER A LONG PERIOD TO FIND AN ACCEPTABLE BASIS FOR THE CONTINUATION OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THIS WAS NOT A FEASIBLE OPTION, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE SHOULD CONCENTRATED ON OTHER WAYS OF SECURING THE CONTINUITY OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY, PROSPERITY AND WAY OF LIFE''.
PARA 8:
(1)
THE
}
WE SUGGEST THAT THE THIRD SENTENCE SHOULD READ:
CONTINUATION OF HONG KONG'S OWN LONG-ESTABLISHED AND FAMILIAR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE...''
(11) IN THE FOURTH SENTENCE WE SUGGEST THAT THE FREEDOMS SHOULD BE LISTED AS IN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S PRESS CONFERENCE.
(111) WE ALSO SUGGEST THAT THE FOURTH SENTENCE SHOULD BE EXPANDED (AS IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE SATEMENT) TO INCLUDE THE POINT ABOUT TAXES LEVIED IN HONG KONG BEING USED IN HONG KONG FOR THE BENEFIT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.
PARA 9: THERE IS DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE ARRANGEMENTS DESCRIBED IN PARAS 7 AND 8 WHICH ARE MATTERS FOR THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS, AND THOSE IN PARA 9 WHICH INVOLVE THIRD COUNTRIES. WE SUGGEST THAT THIS PARA BE AMENDED ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:
SECRET
GIVEN.