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SO FAR AS THE LAST PART OF THE QUESTION IS CONCERNED, WHAT ONE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE IS A GOVERNMENT WHICH IS RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE, WHICH HAS THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE. SO THAT IT CAN CARRY OUT POLICY EFFECTIVELY, SO THAT PEOPLE FEEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND SO THAT IN TURN PRODUCES A STABLE SOCIETY, A DYNAMIC SOCIETY AND A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY.
Q: (UNIDENTIFIED): COMING FROM A COUNTRY IN WHICH THE POLITICAL PARTY COMPETITION IS NOW IN VERY FULL SWING, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE EMERGENCE OF POLITICAL PARTIES IN HONG KONG WOULD BE A HEALTHY OR UNFORTUNATE PHENOMENON?
J
A: IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO COMMENT ON THAT WITHOUT SEEMING TO PRE-JUDGE WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT SAY IN THE GREEN PAPER. THE POINT I WOULD MAKE IS THAT THERE HAS NOT IN HONG KONG BEEN A TRADITION OF PARTY POLITICS, THAT HAS NEVER BEEN PART OF THE HONG KONG TRADITION. CONFRONTATIONAL POLITICS HAS NOT BEEN PART OF THE HONG KONG TRADITION EITHER. I SENSE THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG DO NOT LIKE CONFRONTATIONAL POLITICS, BUT THAT IS ONLY ME SENSING THAT AND IT IS FOR OTHER PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, TO SAY WHETHER THAT IS SO.
AND A FINAL POINT, THAT IN DEVELOPING THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT ONE SHOULD EVOLVE ON THE BASIS OF HONG KONG'S OWN EXPERIENCE RATHER THAN SIMPLY TRYING TO COPY SYSTEMS WHICH HAVE BEEN ADOPTED ELSEWHERE.
HONG KONG, MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IS A UNIQUE PLACE. ITS OWN SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.
Q:
IT NEEDS
(UNIDENTIFIED): NOW WE HAVE THE GREEN PAPER MANY PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO WONDER WHY A CLAUSE TO ESTABLISH A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT DEEPLY ROOTED, FIRMLY ROOTED, IN HONG KONG, DID NOT APPEAR IN THE GREEN PAPER THIS YEAR?
A: FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T THINK ANY GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT SHOULD NECESSARILY XEROX COPIES OF A PREVIOUS DOCUMENT. SO YOU DON'T EXPECT ONE DOCUMENT TO REFER TO EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE ONE BEFORE IT. THE ANSWER I HAVE JUST GIVEN, I THINK, RELATES
THE GOVERNMENT VERY CLOSELY TO THE QUESTION YOU'VE ASKED. WOULD LIKE TO SEE A SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION EVOLVING WHICH IS RESPONSIVE TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, WHICH HAS THEIR SUPPORT AND IN THAT SENSE IS ROOTED IN HONG KONG. THAT'S WHAT ONE MEANS BY BEING ROOTED IN HONG KONG, HAVING THE SUPPORT, HAVING THE RESPECT OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, SO THE GOVERNMENT CAN OPERATE EFFECTIVELY. AT THE END OF THE DAY WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. I'M SURE, IS A GOVERNMENT WHICH OPERATES EFFECTIVELY IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG.
CHEN YUN-CHEE