8
MONDAY, SEPTEMBM 30, 1985
CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT
I HAVE ALREADY SAID A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS PROCESS, NOW EMBARKED UPON IN HK, WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A MORE HIGHLY CHARGED POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE, AND THERE ARE ALREADY DISTINCT, AND ENCOURAGING, SIGNS OF
A MATURE AND RESPONSIBLE APPROACH TO IT BY VARIOUS COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL GROUPS.
ANY NEW GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE WHICH EMERGES MUST NEED TO BE IN A FORM THAT WILL NOT AFFRONT THE CHINESE AND YET, AND THE SAME TIME, GIVE CONFIDENCE TO HK THAT PEOPLE WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXERCISE THE AUTONOMY PROMISED IN THE AGREEMENT.
I HAVE MENTIONED ALREADY THE FIRST STEPS TAKEN BY THE NPC IN SETTING UP THE BLDC AND CONSEQUENT ACTION BEING TAKEN NOW IN HK. AND I HAVE SAID THAT THE PROCESS HAS FOR SOME TIME NOW EVOKED VERY CONSIDERABLE INTEREST AMONG A BROAD SPECTRUM OF HK PEOPLE.
THE CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HK AND THE DRAFTING OF THE B.L. WILL GO FORWARD TOGETHER, AND OUR AIM HERE MUST CLEARLY BE TO DEVELOP A KIND OF SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL CONCERNED AND SUITABLE FOR INCORPORATION IN THE B.L..
INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT
THE FIFTH ESSENTIAL IS TO ACHIEVE INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUSTAIN HK'S AUTONOMOUS STATUS. THERE ARE OVER 300 TREATIES AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS WHICH APPLY TO HK AS A BRITISH TERRITORY. WE NEED TO FIND MEANS OF MAINTAINING THE APPLICABILITY OF MANY OF THESE TO THE HK (SAR). I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED THE WORK ALREADY STATED IN THE JLG ON THE GATT AND MORE WILL FOLLOW AT THE NEXT MEETINGS.
CONCLUSION
THERE IS NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS
AND HK HAS SUCCESSFULLY CROSSED SOME VERY DIFFICULT TERRAIN. THERE IS NOW EVERY PROSPECT OF A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE. THERE ARE OF COURSE UNCERTAINTIES. OUR DEPENDENCE ON EXPORTS AND THE OPEN NATURE OF OUR TRADING AND FINANCIAL SYSTEMS MAKE HK VULNERABLE TO CHANGES IN THE INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CLIMATE. AND THERE ARE THOSE, INEVITABLY, WHO REMAIN CONCERNED. BUT THERE IS A MARKED DEGREE OF OPTIMISM, WHICH HAS BUILT UP IN RECNT MONTHS AND WHICH IS NOW CLEARLY DISCERNIBLE.
/ALL THE