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RESUME THOSE POWERS.
b.
UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION HMG WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UNTIL 30 JUNE 1997. HMG MUST
RETAIN THE MEANS TO EXERCISE THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
THE CHINESE,
AND MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, WOULD NO DOUBT EXPECT THAT OF US.
AT THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO DO ALL WE CAN, WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK,
TO ESTABLISH THE AUTONOMY OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DESIGNATE) FOR
ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE PREFERABLE TO
(NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) DEVOLVE POWERS. PRESENTATIONALLY THEY
WOULD SEEM LESS RECOVERABLE. BUT THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD STILL
LEAVE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY WITH THE GOVERNOR, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE
OF HMG, AND ALLOW FOR THE RESUMPTION OF POWER BY HIM IN THE EVENT
OF A CRISIS.
(II)
7.
THE EXTENT OF THE DELEGATION OF POWERS
THE MAIN PAPER NOTES (PARA 4). THAT THE PRESENT POWERS OF
THE GOVERNOR AND THE FUTURE POWERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE UNDER
THE JOINT DECLARATION WILL NOT BE IDENTICAL. IT WOULD SEEM MOST
PRACTICABLE IF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE (DESIGNATE) WAS ENDOWED WITH
HIS POWERS ON A PROGRESSIVE BASIS. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT THERE
WAS NO ABRUPT CHANGE, AND THAT HE COULD BE GIVEN TIME TO
ESTABLISH HIS POSITION. THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT HE
WAS EXERCISING ALL THE POWERS OF THE OFFICE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF
THE HONG KONG SAR BY THE TIME THAT OFFICE CAME INTO EXISTENCE ON
1 JULY 1997. A PROGRESSIVE DEVOLUTION ON THESE LINES WOULD
SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVE THE PROSPECTS OF A TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT
IN CONDITIONS OF STABILITY. UP TO 30 JUNE 1997, AS DISCUSSED
ABOVE, HMG WOULD RETAIN THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY. AFTER 1 JULY
1997 THE HONG KONG SAR WOULD ENJOY THE AUTONOMY DEFINED IN THE
JOINT DECLARATION.
8.
ALL THE POWERS NOW THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR
WHICH WOULD NOT BE EXERCISED BY THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AFTER 1997
WOULD BE RETAINED BY THE GOVERNOR UNTIL 1997. THE GOVERNOR'S
POSITION WOULD IN SOME RESPECTS BE SIMILAR TO THAT OF A GOVERNOR
IN THE LAST (FULLY INTERNALLY SELF-GOVERNING) PHASE BEFORE
INDEPENDENCE OF A COLONY: HE WOULD REMAIN RESPONSIBLE FOR DEFENCE
AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND IN THE LAST RESORT FOR SECURITY, BUT
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