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HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 14 July 1988
There is a very subtle relationship between changing and not changing. Things that cannot remain unchanged and must be changed in the way they turn out to be will affect other things and determine whether they can remain unchanged for 50 years. If the changes are for the better, then remaining unchanged for 50 years will become a reality. Otherwise, the hope of no change for 50 years will merely be a mirage. Therefore, people who are concerned about the future of Hong Kong and who are committed to Hong Kong's future should not merely concentrate on what should remain unchanged, but have to pay attention to those that cannot remain unchanged and must be changed. How things will turn out to be: whether the changes are for the better, and whether the changes can help to ensure that other matters can remain unchanged.
Things that cannot remain unchanged and must be changed can be specifi- cally reflected in the Basic Law provisions on central authorities, the SAR and the political structure. These are two key areas.
Regarding central authorities and SAR, articles 16, 17, 18 and 109 and Note 2 in the draft Basic Law are the key articles in the key area. These articles provide for the ultimate power to enact legislation for the Hong Kong SAR by the Standing Committee of the NPC, through the requirement to submit legislation for record, application of national laws, by way of promulgation on directives, judicial powers of the SAR, the power of interpretation of the Basic Law, the formulation of the Basic Law Committee and other matters. The constitution in front of us will have a very great impact on the legislative power of the Hong Kong SAR-it is dependent judicial power, it is a legal system and the rule of law. That is to say, things that cannot remain unchanged and must change have changed for the worse and consequently, even things that should remain unchanged will have to change. These articles must be amended, but today I do not intend to go into details.
As for the political system, I shall confine myself to principles and methods for the formation of the first Government and the first legislature of the Hong Kong SAR in Annex III.
The political structure has to be changed, but how can we change it in such a way that Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and lifestyle shall remain unchanged for 50 years? I feel that the following three principles must be adhered to. Firstly, the concept of Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong in a high degree of autonomy. The idea of 'Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong' unfortunately has been described as unscientific and little mention has been made of it. Now, however, the phrase is one that has been most deeply imprinted on the minds of the 6 million people of Hong Kong. I think that 'Hong Kong people' is a collective noun; it refers to people who are truly representatives of the public interests in Hong Kong. They represent the interests of all sectors of our society. They are true representative Hong Kong people-it does not mean, one or a few or a dozen or a couple of tens or a couple of hundreds of people who only represent certain sectors, who are
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