HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL · 13 July 1988
1861
fatalistic they will be-and they could even be more confident—that after the British withdraw in 1997 and China resumes sovereignty, economic prosperity will continue, personal freedoms will not be diminished and the momentum for political democracy will not be reversed.
Together with the views of other legislators who will have spoken today and tomorrow, I hope that my views will be conveyed by the Administration to the Chinese Government through the proper channels.
The Chinese Government has shown an open-mindedness in their willingness to listen to and receive all forms of criticisms and opinions on this first draft of the Basic Law. I hope that this willingness to listen will engender positive response on the part of the Chinese Government to amend the draft Basic Law to meet the wishes and aspirations of the majority of the Hong Kong community. That will be crucial to maintaining confidence all round.
As many Councillors will be speaking during the debate, I shall confine myself to several cardinal principles which I believe have relevance to the Basic Law right up to the time it comes up for adoption by the National People's Congress in 1990.
Firstly, the Basic Law has to conform with the spirit and letter of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and any deviation from the terms of the Joint Declaration cannot be permitted.
I believe that this principle represents the overwhelming consensus and unity of purpose, not only on the part of the British and Chinese Governments, but equally on the part of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, and the over- whelming majority of the people of Hong Kong.
It will be incumbent upon the Legislative Council through its in-house meeting and the Constitutional Development Panel of OMELCO to study the draft Basic Law so that deviations from the Joint Declaration which have crept into the draft will be brought to the attention of the Chinese Government and the Drafting Committee for suitable amendments to the draft Basic Law.
Secondly, the draft Basic Law has to wholly reflect the 'one country-two systems' concept.
Besides preserving Hong Kong's capitalist system in economic development combined with expanding measures of social justice, the personal freedoms which Hong Kong people now enjoy under a benevolent British colonial rule should be preserved at all costs within the framework of the Basic Law. By the time the British withdraw from Hong Kong in 1997, these personal freedoms should be faithfully upheld under the rule of law by the Hong Kong SAR Government. Respect for national sovereignty and adherence to the expression of national unity must be balanced by respect for human rights and liberty of the individual.