MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1934
23
'BEST OF A BAD DEAL' - JOHN SWAINE SAYS
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DOUBTS ABOUT HOW HARD BRITAIN NEGOTIATED ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG'S 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE DURING THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS WERE EXPRESSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (MONDAY).
THE HON JOHN SWAINE, WHO ABSTAINED FROM VOTING ON THE MOTION ENDORSING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT, SAID THE PEOPLE HERE LOOKED TO BRITAIN TO NEGOTIATE FOR THEM, BUT HOW HARD DID BRITAIN TRY ON THE IR BEHALF, HE ASKED?
+1 AM NOT PERSUADED THAT SHE DID ALL IN HER POWER FOR HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.
+ I THINK SHE WENT TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE WITH ONE ARM TIED BEHIND HER BACK.+
SHE DISABLED HERSELF A LONG TIME AGO WHEN SHE CLOSED THE DOOR TO HONG KONG.
SHE DID THIS BY A SERIES OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY ACTS WHICH TURNED THE HONG KONG PASSPORT HOLDER INTO A SECOND-CLASS CITIZEN.
+ IF YOU DON'T WANT THEM, HOW HARD WILL YOU NEGOTIATE ON THE IR BEHALF?
+JUST AS IMPORTANT, WHAT IS THE CHINESE PERCEPTION OF YOUR NEGOTIATING STANCE?+
WITHIN THESE LIMITS, HE BELIEVED BRITAIN OBTAINED THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT IT WAS THE BEST OF A BAD DEAL.
+I CANNOT SEE THE OCCASION AS ONE FOR REJOICING, HE SAID. THE THING NOW WAS TO MAKE THE AGREEMENT WORK.
WE MUST ENSURE THAT WHEN THE TIME CAME THE HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY PROMISED WAS NOT AN EMPTY PHRASE, MR SWAINE SAID.
HE WELCOMED THE ASSURANCE OF AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY, FOR THEY MUST BE THE WATCHDOGS OF THE PERSONAL FREEDOMS THAT HAD BEEN PROMISED.
HE ALSO WELCOMED THE PROVISION WHICH WOULD PERMIT JUDGES FROM OTHER COMMON LAW JURISDICTIONS TO BE RECRUITED, AND INVITED TO SIT IN THE HONG KONG COURT OF APPEAL.
+WHEN THE TIME COMES, WILL THEY BE SO RECRUITED OR INVITED?+ HE ASKED.
/POWER STARTED