WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1984
UMELCO PAPER ON DRAFT AGREEMENT TABLED
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THE UMELCO LONDON DELEGATION'S POSITION PAPER, SENT TO MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN LONDON AND ALSO DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY, WAS TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
THE 1 200-WORD STATEMENT WAS PUBLISHED ON NOVEMBER 29, THE DAY BEFORE THE DELEGATION LEFT FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM.
IT LISTS FEARS AND ANXIETIES HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED OVER THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
DR THE HON HARRY FANG TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT THE PRESENT DELEGATION WAS THE SECOND TO LONDON WITHIN A YEAR TO REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE HERE BEFORE THE PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.
ITS MAIN PURPOSE WAS TO ASSIST MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES TO UNDERSTAND THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, PARTICULARLY THE VARIOUS CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS OF DETAIL WHICH HAD BEEN RAISED SINCE PUBLICATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION ON SEPTEMBER 26,
HE SAID THE STATEMENT SET OUT THE POSITION OF UMELCO ON THIS JOINT DECLARATION.
IT REFLECTED VIEWS EXPRESSED BY VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE FUTURE ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AS PRESENTED IN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
DR FANG SAID WHEN THE SENIOR UNOFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THE HON SIR S.Y. CHUNG, RETURNED FROM UMELCO'S LAST MISSION TO LONDON IN MAY HE STATED THAT THE VISIT WAS ONLY THE BEGINNING: UMELCO AND ALL IN HONG KONG HAD A GREAT DEAL OF WORK AHEAD IF THEY WERE TO SECURE A GOOD FUTURE NOT ONLY FOR THE PRESENT GENERATION BUT ALSO FOR THEIR CHILDREN.
+LATER THIS MONTH. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL WITNESS THE FORMAL CONCLUSION OF THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS, DR FANG SAID.
+HOWEVER, THIS IS STILL BY NO MEANS THE END OF THE PROCESS OF SECURING A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE FOR HONG KONG, BUT RATHER IT IS THE END OF THE BEGINNING AND MARKS THE OPENING OF A NEW CHAPTER IN OUR HISTORY.
HE SAID THE UMELCO PAPER STATED THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE READY AND WILLING TO TAKE ON THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW CIRCUMSTANCES THEY FACED,
IT ALSO SAID, GIVEN THE UNDERSTANDING AND SENSITIVITY OF THE TWO SIGNATORY GOVERNMENTS AND THE IR FIRM COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION IN BOTH LETTER AND SPIRIT, THEY WOULD SUCCEED NOT ONLY IN MAINTAINING HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, BUT ALSO IN MAKING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WORK.
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