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1907
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL - 14 July 1988
Article 124 makes the same mistake, so again we should consider amending that.
As for articles concerning land leases, shipping, and civil aviation, since all articles are borrowed directly from the Joint Declaration, I accept them all.
Sir, in summary, I think that the draft Basic Law has paid too much attention
· to the maintenance of the existing policy, when economy is concerned. And it has neglected the importance of changing according to circumstances and the fact that our economic system evolves with time. The best means to maintain confidence in investment and enterprise, is to maintain existing capitalist system. We do not really need to write this down in the law. The most important thing is to emphasise major principles in capitalist systems. For example we should say that the Central Government should not interfere with free enter- prise, the SAR would not interfere with the operation of free markets, or the Central Government would not exercise planned economy in Hong Kong SAR. As to how this should be codified, this is really the task for legal experts.
Sir, with such remarks I support the motion.
4.31 pm
HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: Members might take a short break at this point.
4.55 pm
HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: Council will resume.
MR. PANG (in Cantonese): Sir, to apply the one country, two systems policy in Hong Kong after its sovereignty is resumed by China, is of historical significance.
Ever since the Basic Law draft (for solicitation of opinions) was published, the Basic Law Consultative Committee has been putting in all it has got to publicise the document and meanwhile Mainland drafters have arrived in the territory in great numbers. What should have happened was that the Basic Law draft that could determine the future of 5.5 million people commanded wide public attention in Hong Kong and even in China and that everybody was enthusiastically giving their views. But, what actually happened was that most of our citizens simply adopted a resigned and indifferent attitude towards the draft. This is enough for the drafters to ponder why the draft that took more than two years of hard work and solid study to produce got such a frosty response.
Before the release of the Basic Law draft, I have reiterated on a number of occasions that the draft should succinctly provide for a high degree of autonomy