UNCLASSIFIED
P.a. Constitutional (16
Seist
057240
MDLIAN 6932
нав
HAB3 012./2
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 993
OF 061041Z APRIL 92
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
ия
BASIC LAW: SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF PROMULGATION
1. LOCAL MEDIA REPORTED EXTENSIVELY ON THE SYMPOSIUM HELD IN BEIJING ON 4 APRIL TO MARK THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROMULGATION OF THE BASIC LAW (BL). THE SYMPOSIUM WAS ATTENDED BY JI PENGFEI AND FIFTEEN MAINLAND AND HONG KONG DRAFTERS.
2. ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, JI PENGFEI STARTED BY EMPHASISING THE IMPORTANCE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BL IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, WHICH REQUIRED CLOSE CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS. HE ALSO POINTED TO THE URGENT NEED FOR STEPPING UP PROMOTION AND PUBLICITY OF THE BL IN ORDER TO FACILITATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ADMINISTRATING HONG KONG'. THESE TWO THEMES WERE ECHOED LATER BY THE OTHER SPEAKERS INCLUDING SHAO TIANREN, XU CHONGDE AND ZHOU NAN.
3. ZHOU NAN, DIRECTOR OF NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH, CITED THE FOLLOWING MAJOR AREAS FOR CONVERGENCE:
(A) THE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE EXISTING EXECUTIVE-LED POLITICAL SYSTEM:
(B) TO ENSURE THAT THE SET-UP OF THE 1995 LEGISLATURE AND OTHER ELECTORAL MATTERS WERE CONSISTENT WITH THE RELEVANT PROVISIONS IN THE BL:
(C) TO MAINTAIN THE STABILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, ASSETS AND SYSTEM OF OPERATION TO FACILITATE FUTURE TRANSFER TO THE SARG:
(D) TO PREPARE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE FIRST SARG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE BL BY, INTER ALIA, MAINTAINING THE STABILITY OF THE CIVIL SERVICE:
(E) TO PRESERVE THE EXISTING LEGAL SYSTEM AND TO ENSURE THAT NEW
1
PAGE UNCLASSIFIED