THE CONCEPT OF 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'
THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE
THE SAR LEGISLATURE
THE BASIC LAW
404
(11) STATEMENT BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE HOUSE
OF COMMONS ON 25.10.84.
AS THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' IS NEW AND AS YET UNTRIED, SOME SCEPTISM HAS BEEN EXPRESSED AS
TO WHETHER CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM CAN CO-EXIST WITHOUT CONFLICT: AND WHETHER THE VIEWS OF THE CENTRAL PEOPLE'S GOVERNMENT (CPG) WOULD PREVAIL OVER THOSE OF THE SAR: AND IF SO, WHETHER THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEM TO BE ADOPTED BY
THE SAR WOULD REMAIN INTACT.
4.5
AS REGARDS THE APPOINTMENT OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE HK SAR, IT WAS WIDELY FELT THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT
WAS NOT SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR AND DETAILED TO PROVIDE THE
REASSURANCE WHICH PEOPLE SOUGHT. THE VIEW WAS STONGLY
EXPRESSED THAT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE SHOULD BE SELECTED BY
ELECTION RATHER THAN BY CONSULTATION, AND SHOULD BE
APPOINTED BY THE HONG KONG LEGISLATURE RATHER THAN BY THE
CPG.
4.6
OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS MADE WERE:-
THE ENTIRE PROCESS OF APPOINTING THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE, INCLUDING HIS TERM OF OFFICE, SHOULD
BE FULLY DEFINED:
THE CPG SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO VETO SUCH
SUCH APPOINTMENT: IF THE CPG HAD THE FINAL SAY IN THE APPOINTMENT, BEIJING MIGHT EVENTUALLY CONTROL ALL APPOINTMENTS IN THE SAR, INCLUDING THOSE IN THE
ADMINISTRATION AND THE JUDICIARY:
THE TERM ''LOCAL INHABITANT'' SHOULD BE PRECISELY
DEFINED: THE STATUS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AS LOCAL INHABITANTS
SHOULD BE DEFINED AS HONG KONG BORN OR BONA FIDE
LONG TIME RESIDENTS WITH AT LEAST 10 YEARS
CONTINUUOUS RESIDENCE IN HONG KONG:
ALL APPOINTMENTS SHOULD BE BASED ON ABILITY AND
EXPERIENCE, AND NOT ON POLITICAL AFFILIATION OR
NEPOTISM:
SECRET -28-
/IN