Mr Bung
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to glance at sidelined passage on intrpretation of 34,
Translation of an extract from the Mirror Issue No. 97 (Aug. 852 par
Zhang Youyu on the powers of Hong Kong's
drafting committee members
h.214.
by our reporter
When the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee was met up,
we interviewed well-known Chinese jurist, Professor Zhang Youyu, on
questions of law related to the Basic Law and, in particular, on the powers of Hong Kong members in the Basic Law Drafting Committee. Professor Zhang is already 86 years old, but is full of vigour and talks humorously and coherently. He is at present a member of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress and Deputy Director of the NPC Law Committee. He was recently appointed a member on the Chinese side of the Hong Kong Basic Law Drafting Committee. Prof. Zhang is a noted authority in the Chinese legal circles. The following is summarized account of an interview with him.
On the question of the powers of Hong Kong members, Zhang Youyu remarked that it should first be understood that the Basic Law Drafting Committee was formed by the Standing Committee under authority from the
NPC.
The drafting committee is a body under the NPC Standing Committee, not a separate body. From the practical point of view, Prof. Zhang said, the wishes of Hong Kong people should be respected because Hong Kong will be ruled by Hong Kong people. But from the legal point of view, Hong Kong's members in the drafting committee were appointed in a personal capacity by the NPC Standing Committee and they cannot represent Hong Kong
as a group.
Therefore, the Hong Kong members must be responsible to the NPC and its Standing Committee which, of course, includes being responsible to Hong Kong people. Does this mean that the Hong Kong members have not
much power and cannot
→ function effectively? No, Power means winning the support and approval of the majority through one's position and ideas. Since there will be one country two systems, the wishes of Hong Kong people will certainly be taken into account.
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