4. THIS NEW COUNCIL WILL SOON NO DOUBT ADOPT ITS OWN DISTINCTIVE WORKING STYLE. IN DOING SO, IT INHERITS A SUCCESSFUL PATTERN ON WHICH TO BUILD. OVER THE YEARS, DIFFERENT MEMBERSHIPS HAVE BUILT UP A REMARKABLE RECORD AS SPOKESMEN FOR THE COMMUNITY ON VITAL
ISSUES, AS THEY WERE FOR EXAMPLE IN RECENT YEARS ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THEY HAVE SCRUTINISED AND PASSED AN
IMPRESSIVE BODY OF LAW WHICH HAS PROVIDED THE FRAMEWORK WITHIN
WHICH HONG KONG HAS BEEN ABLE TO GROW INTO THE SOCIETY IT IS TODAY.
OUR SOCIETY HAS EVOLVED AS A RESULT OF A CONSTANT CONSLUTATIVE
PROCESS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE COMMUNITY. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN A CARDINAL ELEMENT IN HONG KONG'S SUCCESS
AND THE GOVERNMENT FIRMLY INTENDS THAT IT SHOULD BE CONTINUED
AND STRENGTHENED.
5. WE SHALL NEED TO MONITOR ITS FUNCTIONING OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS,
BEFORE WE TAKE STOCK AGAIN IN THE 1987 REVIEW. THE REFORMS OF 1985
ARE BASED ON INSTITUTIONS WHICH HAVE SERVED HONG KONG WELL: IN PARTICULAR, THEY PRESERVE THEIR BEST FEATURES. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BUILD A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AT THE CENTRAL LEVEL WHICH IS APPROPRIATE TO ITS NEEDS AND IN HARMONY WITH ITS TRADITIONS. THE 1987 REVIEW WILL THUS NEED TO ADDRESS: WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE COUNCIL: WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTIONS: WHAT SHOULD BE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS: AND OTHER RELATED ISSUES. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT, EVEN BEFORE THE REVIEW, THERE WILL BE MUCH PUBLIC DISCUSSION
OF THESE MATTERS.
ENDS
YOUDE
LIMITED
HKD
FED
NEWS D HR WILSON
2-
CONFID CONFIDENTIAL