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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985
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NEED TO PRESERVE PROSPERITY
*****
STABILITY STRESSED
ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES WHO TAKE THEIR SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MUST ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT THEIR OVERRIDING OBJECTIVE AND MANDATE IS TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, SIR ROGER LOBO SAID TODAY.
WINDING UP THE TWO-DAY DEBATE ON THE WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID: +SHOULD THEY FAIL TO APPRECIATE THIS, AND TO ACT ACCORDINGLY, PROGRESS TOWARDS A FULLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE IS BOUND TO BE DELAYED OR, INDEED, MAY BE FRUSTRATED ALTOGETHER,+
HE SAID ANNEX TO THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT PRESCRIBED THAT THE LEGISLATURE OF THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION SHOULD BE CONSTITUTED BY ELECTIONS.
+MY UNOFFICIAL COLLEAGUES AND I, AND I AM SURE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WARMLY WELCOME AND INDEED LOOK FORWARD TO THIS DEVELOPMENT, AND SEE THE PLANS OUTLINED IN THE WHITE PAPER AS A SENSIBLE FIRST STEP IN THAT DIRECTION,+ SIR ROGER SAID.
+ IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT A GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE CONSISTING LARGELY OF LOCAL PEOPLE IS IN PLACE AND IN PROPER WORKING ORDER WELL BEFORE 1997.+
+TO THIS END IT IS NECESSARY THEREFORE TO MOVE TO A MORE REPRESENTATIVE FORM OF GOVERNMENT, TRANSFERRING THE POWERS OF THE PRESENT COLONIAL GOVERNMENT TO THE ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
+ BUT THERE ARE FEARS IN THE MINDS OF MANY PEOPLE THAT THIS PROCESS OF POWER TRANSFER IS VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF DECOLONISATION AND THAT DRASTIC AND RADICAL CHANGES OVER THE NEXT 12 YEARS MAY JEOPARDISE THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG,
SIR ROGER SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD GIVEN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AN UNDERTAKING TO RETURN HONG KONG TO CHINA ON JUNE 30, 1997, IN A PROSPEROUS AND STABLE CONDITION, OTHERWISE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD BE CONSIDERED AS FAILING TO HONOUR ARTICLE IV OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.
+ IN THAT EVENT, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT MIGHT THEN SAY THEY WERE NO LONGER UNDER AN OBLIGATION TO HONOUR ARTICLE 11 OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND TO GIVE HONG KONG THE SPECIAL STATUS OF A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR 50 YEARS BEYOND 1997, SAID SIR ROGER.
/+WHILE, THEREFORE,
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