9
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
THAT IS AN AUTHORITATIVE, AND MOST IMPORTANT, CONCLUSION. IT IS BASED ON CAREFUL ANALYSIS OF THE WHOLE RANGE OF SUBMISSIONS AND STATEMENTS RECEIVED. ALL THE PRINCIPAL REPRESENTATIVE BODIES IN HONG KONG, ALONG WITH THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS AND MOST OF THE INDIVIDUALS EXPRESSING A VIEW, ACCEPTED THE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
THE OVERALL PICTURE FROM REPORTS BY AND THROUGH THE MEDIA WAS FOUND TO BE ONE OF GENERAL ACCEPTANCE. THE SAME VIEW EMERGED FROM VARIOUS INDEPENDENT OPINION SURVEYS.
THE INDEPENDENT MONITORS, WHO WATCHED THE WORK OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AT EVERY STAGE, CONFIRMED THAT THE OFFICE HAD PERFORMED ITS FUNCTIONS PROPERLY AND IMPARTIALLY.
OVER THREE AND A HALF MILLION COPIES OF THE AGREEMENT WERE DISTRIBUTED IN HONG KONG AND THE FACT THAT MORE THAN A MILLION OF THOSE WERE DISTRIBUTED BY THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY SAYS SOMETHING, I SUPPOSE, ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH THE ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED. THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE RECEIVED NEARLY TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND DIRECT SUBMISSIONS, MANY FROM ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTING A HUGE MEMBERSHIP. THIS COMPARES VERY FAVOURABLY WITH PREVIOUS EXERCISES OF CONSULTATION IN HONG KONG.
THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE TOOK INTO ACCOUNT 273 REPORTS OF DISCUSSIONS, DEBATES, SEMINARS, PUBLIC SPEECHES AND INTERVIEWS, AS WELL AS THE RESULTS OF 23 OPINION SURVEYS OF VARIOUS KINDS. BUT BY ANY STANDARDS IT WAS A MOST THOROUGH EXERCISE IN INFORMATION AND CONSULTATION.
ONE POINT ON WHICH A NUMBER OF PEOPLE COMMENTED IN THE COURSE OF THIS PROCESS WAS THE FACT THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT COULD NOT IN ANY CASE BE AMENDED AND I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING DIRECTLY ABOUT THAT.
THE NORMAL PRACTICE IN NEGOTIATING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS IS THAT ONCE THEY HAVE BEEN INITIALLED THEY ARE NOT OPEN TO AMENDMENT. AND THERE IS GOOD REASON FOR THAT. IT IS THAT IN SUCH CASES ANY ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WOULD RISK DISTURBING THE WHOLE DELICATE BALANCE THAT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED AND SO IT WAS IN THE PRESENT CASE. IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT WE TOOK SUCH TROUBLE TO CONSULT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AT EVERY TURN DURING THE NEGOTIATIONS. IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT I MADE STATEMENTS ON MY TWO VISITS TO HONG KONG IN APRIL AND JULY. AND, IN THAT WAY, WE OFFERED THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMENT ON THE LIKELY SHAPE OF THE EMERGING AGREEMENT AND RIGHTLY, THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
/SURSEQUENTLY, THE
Page 10Page 11