WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 1985
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+ IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT, DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD, LOCAL PEOPLE ARE TRAINED AND DEVELOPED SO THAT LEADERS CAN EMERGE IN TIME TO REALISE THE 'HONG KONG PEOPLE RULING HONG KONG' CONCEPT.
+ IF BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA AGREED TO LET LOCAL PEOPLE HAVE A HAND IN IMPORTANT ISSUES, SUCH AS TAKING PART IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, THEN WE ARE REALLY MAKING OUR FIRST STEP TOWARDS THAT GOAL, MRS FAN SAID.
SHE ALSO SAID IT WAS INCONCEIVABLE THAT MEMBERSHIP OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED UP TO THE YEAR 2000 AND THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD NOT ASK FOR MORE DIRECT PARTICIPATION IN THE GROUP AS THE GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM MOVED TOWARDS BECOMING MORE REPRESENTATIVE.
+APPOINTING A LOCAL HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP NOW WOULD MAKE THE EVOLUTION TOWARDS UNOFFICIALS' PARTICIPATION LATER ON MORE NATURAL, MRS FAN CONCLUDED.
CONTACTS CONTINUE ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR JLG
****
CONTACTS BETWEEN THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS ARE CONTINUING ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT WILL BE MADE IN DUE COURSE, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE HON MICHAEL THOMAS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
+UNTIL SUCH TIME PRESS REPORTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE
REGARDED AS SPECULATIVE,+ HE SAID.
MR THOMAS WAS SPEAKING DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE ON THE PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES (JOINT LIAISON GROUP) BILL 1985.
HE SAID HE HAD TAKEN NOTE OF THE COMMENTS EXPRESSED BY THE HON RITA FAN AND THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG ON THE COMPOSITION OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, WHICH CLEARLY REPRESENTED DEEPLY-FELT VIEWS.
+THE GOVERNMENT NATURALLY SHARES MEMBERS' COMMITMENT TO THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION AND TO ITS FAITHFUL
IMPLEMENTATION,+ HE SAID.
+
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