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THE HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT ALTHOUGH THE FINAL COURT OF APPEAL WILL BE SET UP IN HONG KONG THE NPC WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO RE-INTERPRET THE COURT'S RULINGS AND THE RIGHT TO VET LEGISLATION ENACTED BY THE HONG KONG LEGISLATURE. SO UNDER THESE SITUATIONS DO YOU THINK THE HONG KONG S.A.R. GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AS PROMISED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.
SIR GEOFFREY:
THE PRECISE OUTCOME OF THE SHAPING OF THE BASIC LAW IS ONE OF THE MATTERS THAT IS STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE. THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE IS SEEKING TO ACHIEVE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, PRECISELY TO ACHIEVE, FOR EXAMPLE, A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, PRECISELY TO ACHIEVE THE POSITION PRESCRIBED FOR THE COURTS OF THE HONG KONG S.A.R. IN THAT JOINT DECLARATION. I THINK THAT IN LIGHT OF THE WAY IN WHICH WORK HAS PROCEEDED SO FAR BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ONE SHOULD HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION WILL BE FULFILLED. PEOPLE DO ATTACH VERY GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THAT. QUESTION: ARE YOU NOT ALARMED AT THE WAY THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO BE GRABBING BACK ALL THESE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT THEY HAD PROMISED US IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.
SIR GEOFFREY: 1 DON'T THINK THAT THAT SENSE OF ALARM IS AS WIDELY SHARED, BY ANY MEANS, AS YOUR QUESTION IMPLIES. I THINK THAT IF ONE LOOKS AT THE SPECIFIC AREAS TO WHICH I'VE REFERRED FOR EXAMPLE -- THE AREAS IN WHICH AGREEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN REACHED, WHETHER ON THE POSITION UNDER THE GATT, OR IN RELATION TO AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS AND THE OTHER TOPICS WHICH HAVE BEEN UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP 1 THINK THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE WAY IN WHICH THE WORK IS GOING AHEAD. OF COURSE I UNDERSTAND ANXIETY, ONE UNDERSTANDS CONCERN, BECAUSE WHAT IS TAKING PLACE IN FULFILMENT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS SOMETHING WITHOUT PRECEDENT IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. BUT THE FACT THAT THE TWO GOVERNMENTS CONCERNED HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS FAR REACHING AND AS FUNDAMENTAL AND AS COMPREHENSIVE AS THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE FACT THAT DURING THE TIME THAT HAS PASSED SINCE IT WAS SIGNED IN DECEMBER 1984 SO MUCH PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN IMPLEMENTING IT, IS SOMETHING FROM WHICH I THINK PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE ENCOURAGEMENT RATHER THAN ALARM. IT'S RIGHT TO REMAIN WATCHFUL AND CONCERNED, OF COURSE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT NOT TO ALLOW THAT TO GET OUT OF PERSPECTIVE.
QUESTION: IF WE DO TAKE ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND IF WE DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, IN AN IDEAL SITUATION HOW MUCH IN THE WAY OF OPERATING DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THERE BE IN HONG KONG, SAY IN 1994, 1995.
/SIR GEOFFREY: