- 11 -
its systems, However, socialist system will still be practised
in the mainland.
Since Article 31 does not contradict with the Constitution,
there is no need to amend the Constitution.
I personally feel
that the Constitution should be steady. No amendment to the
Constitution should be considered in at least 5 years' time. It is envisaged that there will not be a sixth volume of the
Constitution in this century.
Hong Kong's Future Political System is to be Studied
Q. Hong Kong is now actively going ahead with a representative
government. The Foreign Affairs Ministry of China had stated
that the Chinese government would not take up any obligation
(arising from it). How would the problem be solved if the
political system of Hong Kong as prescribed by the Basic Law
runs counter to that of the representative government?
A.
It is difficult to say at the present stage how this problem
would be resolved. We have no comments on Hong Kong's development
of a representative government. I am afraid that these problems
will have to be studied in the course of drafting the Basic Law.
The Sino-British Joint Declaration had provided for the future
social and economic systems, the lifestyle and the legal system
to be adopted in Hong Kong, but no reference had been made
regarding the 'political system'. It will take arduous efforts
to study the part on 'political system'. Now our present job
is to glean the necessary information. Several months ago,
I asked the departments concerned to glean information and to
study the political system of Hong Kong. We find that the political system of Hong Kong is rather complicated.
What we are now doing is to carry out the investigation and study and