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Sensitive reaction to Lu Ping's statement
But
All problems should have been resolved at
this point and the debate should have concluded.
the waves of emotion in Hong Kong did not die down.
When Lu Ping came to Hong Kong in January to
consult public opinion on the drafting of the Basic
Law, his original intention was to listen but not to talk. However, after a number of local reporters pestered him with the question as to why the Chinese leaders seldom talked about "Hongkong people ruling
Hong Kong" these days, Lu Ping pointed out that
colloquial expressions are different from legal terms. He said "the term "Hongkong people ruling Hong Kong" can be used verbally, but its usage is not scientific. Hence the term "Hongkong people ruling Hong Kong" does
not appear in the Joint Declaration which only states that Hong Kong will be administered by the local people themselves. This is not to say that the Chinese side have overlooked the idea of "Hongkong people ruling Hong Kong". Plans are being made to write the idea into the Basic Law in legal language." Lu Ping's remark that the term "Hongkong people ruling Hong Kong" is not scientific aroused yet another spate of sensitive reaction.
Legal
What Lu Ping did, in fact, was to explain the difference between legal and colloquial terms. terms must be accurate, hence the following legal expressions in the Joint Declaration : "The Government of the HKSAR will be composed of local inhabitant"; "British and other foreign nationals may also be employed to serve as advisers or hold certain public posts in government departments of the HKSAR"; "The HKSAR government may employ British and other foreign nationals previously serving in the public service in Hong Kong,
/.....