1.13.
1.14.
of Foreign Affairs. I had dinner there with a professor, Mrs. Ma Jun, who is the Secretary-General of the Chinese Society of International Law. I mentioned her name to a British Council officer in Beijing, for she is interested in bilateral discussions. She is most impressive. She has written on human rights, and her College organised meetings around the 40th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December 1988. PRC commentators write of "historical limitations" in the document, but the occasion was parked by an academic seminar as well as by newspaper articles. Thus, there is a foundation on which to build for discussion. At the risk of repeating myself, finding the right label is the issue.
Finally, I asked for an appointment at the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office. It was cancelled, and I was told they were very busy preparing for a visit from Mr. Francis Maude, who was then Minister of State at the FCO. This was an important omission, but one which is remediable, necessarily so. I was pleased that the NPC and the Ministries of Justice and Personnel had agreed to receive a proposal from me in writing.
Proposal for the Next Step:
It is necessary at this stage to think in terms of a first meeting, with people from PRC, U.K. and Hong Kong round the table. I would hope that this would be sponsored by RIPA and the British Council. The agenda items should be of practical interest, with suggestions from all parties. From the U.K. side, I propose two possibilities:-
(a) The Role of the Public Servant
(b)
and
Administrative Law: The Practical Effect on the Public Servant
1.15.
In relation to The Role of the Public Servant, Mrs. Jennifer Barnes, the Director of International Services of the Royal Institute of Public Administration has written that:-
"As politicians, governments and legislatures [in new
and emerging democracies, and elsewhere] are becoming clearer about their respective roles and responsibilities, and as industry and commerce develop along more open and
free market lines, so there remains a role to be clarified for public servants. How may they serve government appropriately? How can they be seen to be politically impartial? How can they be seen to be responsive, efficient, and effective in terms which are valid within a developing