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will live this is the work
of the Joint Liaison Group
(JLG).
Declaration
Britain and China
have agreed in the Joint
that they will intensify their cooperation in
the Joint Liaison Group in the second half of the transition
period.
We are now well into the second half. Yet the
expected acceleration
materialise.
of the work of the JLG has failed to
Instead, it seems
that its work has almost
come to a halt.
148.
It is,
therefore, essential
that we inject a new
sense of urgency into the JLG. Hong Kong has a right to
expect that the JLG performs and completes the task set for
it in the Joint Declaration. There is no specific British
interest to be served by resolving the outstanding issues on
the JLG agenda, other than our aim of governing Hong Kong as
competently as possible. But settling these
be of direct benefit to the Hong Kong SAR and
Failing to do SO will create
well and as
matters will
China.
unnecessary
uncertainty and confusion about the transition and will call
into doubt the
continuation of Hong Kong's vital legal and
commercial relations with the outside world.
149.
The issues
involved are not generally political.
They are, almost always, technical or practical matters
which have a direct bearing on the lives of people in all
walks of life in the Territory.
of what I mean:
Let me give a few examples
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