UNCLASSIFIED
1567
MDHIAN 3540
AGREEMENT.
PART FULLY
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY ITS
IN
IN THE WORK OF IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION.
WE WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO BUILD ON AND DEVELOP THE EVER-EXPANDING RANGE OF LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG PEOPLE AND THEIR NEIGHBOURS GUANGDONG PROVINCE. THESE LINKS ARE MAKING AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BOTH HONG
KONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA. THEY OFFER PRAGMATIC EVIDENCE OF THE DETERMINATION OF ORDINARY PEOPLE, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BORDER, TO WORK TOGETHER CONSTRUCTIVELY FOR THEIR MUTUAL BENEFIT.
BASIC LAW
THE FORMAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE RELATIONSHIP AFTER 1997 IS TO
BE THE BASIC LAW. IN FULFILLING THEIR RESPONSIBILITY FOR DRAFTING THIS UNIQUE DOCUMENT, THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE INDICATED, ON MANY OCCASIONS, THEIR WISH TO SOLICIT FULLY THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. AS A RESULT OF VIEWS THAT WERE EXPRESSED ON THE
FIRST CONSULTATION DRAFT LAST YEAR (INCLUDING VIEWS EXPRESSED SO CLEARLY IN THIS CHAMBER), SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WERE MADE AND INCORPORATED IN THE SECOND DRAFT WHICH HAVE SERVED TO IMPROVE IT CONSIDERABLY. CREDIT IS DUE TO THE DRAFTERS FOR THE WAY THEY RESPONDED AT THAT TIME.
IN SPITE OF INTERRUPTIONS TO THE SECOND CONSULTATION EXERCISE, HONG KONG PEOPLE RESUMED THE DEBATE, AND A WIDE VARIETY OF VIEWS WAS EXPRESSED. AGAIN, POINTS MADE IN THIS CHAMBER IN MAY AND JUNE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT DEBATE AND ASSISTED IN FOCUSSING PUBLIC ATTENTION ON KEY AREAS. DISCUSSION BETWEEN NON-GOVERNMENT MEMBERS OF BOTH THIS COUNCIL AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOWED THE WAY IN WHICH DIFFERENCES CAN, THROUGH CONSTRUCTIVE DEBATE, BE RECONCILED IN THE SEARCH FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. AND IT IS THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE WHOSE INTERESTS MUST BE SAFEGUARDED IN THE FINAL VERSION OF THE BASIC LAW. I AM SURE THAT THOSE WHO ARE TASKED WITH THE HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY OF PRODUCING A FRAMEWORK FOR HONG KONG WHICH WILL DO MUCH TO SHAPE HONG KONG WELL INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, WILL AGAIN SHOW THEM- SELVES TO BE WILLING TO LISTEN AND RESPOND.
POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT
NATURALLY DISCUSSION OF WHAT OUR POLITICAL STRUCTURE SHOULD BE LIKE AFTER 1997 RAISES QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW IT SHOULD DEVELOP IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD. THIS COUNCIL IN ITS PRESENT FORM HAS SERVED HONG KONG WELL. MEMBERS REPRESENT A WIDE VARIETY
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