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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1985
+ IT IS WORTH REMEMBERING THAT THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE DRAFT IMPLEMENTING LEGISLATION WILL MEAN THAT A MAJORITY OF THE HONG KONG POPULATION WILL, AFTER JULY 1, 1997, BE LEGALLY ENTITLED TO TWO TRAVEL DOCUMENTS, AND TO CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THIRD COUNTRIES BY TWO STATES, A BENEFIT NOT NORMALLY ENJOYED BY THE CITIZENS OF OTHER NATIONS,+ HE SAID.
DR SOHMEN NOTED THAT THE FOREIGN BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG SHOULD BE SEEN AS AN ADDITIONAL CONDUIT TO CONVEY THE VIEWS AND CONCERNS OF HONG KONG TO THE GOVERNMENTS AND, PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO PUBLIC OPINION IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES.
HE SAID HE CONSIDERED THE EFFORTS BY AMERICAN BUSINESS INTERESTS IN HONG KONG TO INTERCEDE WITH WASHINGTON ON THE ISSUE OF U.S. PROTECTIONIST LEGISLATION ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG DESERVED PARTICULAR PRAISE.
+A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE BACKGROUND FOR MANY OF THE NOVEL ARRANGEMENTS HONG KONG WILL NEED TO PUT IN PLACE IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECLARATION WOULD CERTAINLY HELP IN THE EFFORT TO OBTAIN THE COOPERATION REQUIRED OF OTHER COUNTRIES, SINCE A GOOD GRASP OF COMMERCIAL INTRICACIES FREQUENTLY ALSO PAVES THE WAY FOR THE POLITICAL ACCEPTANCE OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS, + HE SAID.
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+THIS WILL BE OF PARTICULAR RELEVANCE LATER WHEN HONG KONG STARTS TO RENEGOTIATE THE 190 MULTILATERAL AND 800 EILATERAL INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY EXTENDED TO HONG KONG BY THE UNITED KINGDOM, OR WHEN HONG KONG NEGOTIATES NEW AGREEMENTS OR SEEKS TO JOIN AS A MEMBER OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS AS PROVIDED FOR IN ART. XI OF ANNEX OF THE JOINT DECLARATION; IN THE INTERIM IT IS OF COURSE THE TASK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP TO DEAL WITH SUCH MATTERS, AND LOCAL DISCUSSION IS CURRENTLY RESTRICTED BY THE CONFIDENTIALITY ASPECTS OF THAT GROUP'S DELIBERATIONS, HE ADDED.
HE RECOMMENDED THAT FURTHER INVITATIONS BE EXTENDED TO SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC FOR VISITS TO HONG KONG TO ALLOW FOR PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE TERRITORY AND ITS INSTITUTIONS AND FOR A DEEPENING OF THE CONTACTS AT MOST SENIOR LEVEL.
DR SOHMEN ALSO NOTED THAT CONSTANT RE-ASSURANCES WOULD
BE NEEDED FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG'S EMINENT
POSITION AS A COMMERCIAL AND FINANCIAL CENTRE AND TO THIS END THE HONG KONG AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS WORLD SHOULD BE GENERALLY ACCEPTING THE LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL MEASURES PROPOSED BY GOVERNMENT TO IMPROVE UPON OR TO NEWLY REGULATE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES.
HOWEVER, HE CAUTIONED THAT HONG KONG HAD PROSPERED OVER THE DECADES LARGELY BECAUSE IT HAD SO FAR PROVIDED AN ENVIRONMENT OF RELATIVE FREEDOM FOR COMMERCIAL ENTERPRISE BASED ON PRIVATE RISK-TAK ING.
/+WE MUST