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8
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985
+PATIENCE, UNDERSTANDING AND SINCERE CO-OPERATION FROM ALL SIDES ARE CRUCIAL IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE THESE OBJECTIVES,+ HE SAID AT THE POLICY DEBATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
HE SAID THAT SINCE THE INITIALLING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THERE HAD BEEN QUITE VISIBLE SIGNS OF AN UPTURN IN THE REAL ESTATE AND STOCK MARKETS WHICH HAD BEEN HAILED AS SIGNS OF SUBSTANTIAL RESTORATION OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE.
HOWEVER, HE SAID, WE SHOULD BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND RECOGNISE THAT DEEP DOWN IN THE MINDS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE, THERE WAS STILL GREAT UNEASE AND UNCERTAINTY OVER OUR LONG TERM FUTURE. + THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION MAY BE ONE THING THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL ITS PROVISIONS IS QUITÉ ANOTHER, HE SAID.
HE STRESSED THE NEXT FEW YEARS WOULD BE VERY CRUCIAL BECAUSE ON BOTH THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FRONTS WE WERE AT A CROSS ROAD.
MR CHEONG SAID DESPITE THE FACT THAT BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA HAD SO OPENLY AND REPEATEDLY DECLARED THEIR COMMON OBJECTIVES FOR HONG KONG, THE LEVEL OF MUTUAL MISTRUST BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES STILL APPEARED TO BE HIGH.
+CHINA STILL SEEMS TO BE VERY SKEPTICAL OF ANY PROPOSALS RAISED BY BRITAIN, UNDERSTANDABLY SO ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, BUT IT CANNOT BE DENIED ALSO THAT SUCH CAUTION, WHEN CARRIED TOO FAR, WOULD IMPEDE PROPER AND OBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF ISSUES, THUS UNNECESSARILY CAUSING SERIOUS PROBLEMS TO BE DEFERRED RATHER THAN SOLVED.
+BRITAIN, ON THE OTHER HAND, SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN A SOMEWHAT NONCHALANT ATTITUDE AND INITIALLY HAS DONE LITTLE TO REMOVE THAT MISTRUST.
+CERTAIN PROPOSALS MIGHT HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD IN ALL SINCERITY, BUT WHEN SETBACKS WERE ENCOUNTERED, THERE SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN LACKING A SENSE OF DYNAMISM IN PURSUING A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION FOR HONG KONG,+ HE SAID.
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+SURELY, IF BOTH SIDES WERE TO MAKE NO POSITIVE ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS RESPECTIVE FRAMES OF MIND IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW THE COMMON OBJECTIVE CAN BE ACHIEVED SMOOTHLY, + HE ADDED,
HE THEREFORE URGED BOTH PARTIES TO INTERACT WITH SYMPATHY, UNDERSTANDING AND DUE CONSIDERATION FOR OUR ANXIETIES, AND TO WORK CLOSELY AND PRAGMATICALLY TOWARDS DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS THAT COULD MANIFESTLY FOSTER AND MAINTAIN PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.
AS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, MR CHEONG SAID WHATEVER OUR PRIVATE FEELINGS MIGHT BE. WE HAD TO RECOGNISE AND COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT THE SOURCE OF POWER OF THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD BE DERIVED FROM THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF CHINA.
THE DEEP