ON
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1987
THE FUTURE. THE
IMPACT
ITS
YEAR
CAN BE
THERE ARE OF COURSE REAL WORRIES ABOUT 1997 WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, HOWEVER, MUCH MINIMISED BY BENSIBLE POLICIES AND GOOD CO-OPERATION AMONG ALL
CURRENTLY IT IS THE POLITICAL RATHER THAN THE CONCERNED.
ECONOMIC FUTURE THAT ATTRACTS THE MOST ATTENTION. HONG KONG PROPLE ARE WATCHING WHICH WILL GIVE EFFECT CLOSELY AS THE CHINESE DRAFT THE BASIC LAW,
THE CHINESE UNDER
CONSTITUTION ΤΟ THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. A NUMBER OF HONG KONG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD
IN THE INCLUDED
CHAPTER THAT WILL DEAL
THE WITH
STRUCTURE GOVERNMENT MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE SAR.
POLITICAL SYSTEM CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF THE PRESENT
IN HONG KONG,
DEBATE MUCH OF THAT
HAS WHICH HAS ALSO GIVEN RISE TO LIVELY DEBATE. THE QUESTION OF CENTERED ON
HOW THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD EVENTUALLY BE COMPOSED; IT CURRENTLY COMPRISES OFFICIAL, APPOINTED AND INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS. THE JOINT DECLARATION STIPULATES THAT, WHEN THE SAR IS ESTABLISHED IN 1997, ALL MEMBERS BUT DOES NOT SPECIFY THE METHOD OF ELECTION,
SHOULD BE
BE
OF
IS
ELECTED,
SYSTEM
BE ALLOWED TO THE CURRENT DEBATE ON THESE MATTERS SHOULD NOT
A STRONG CONSENSUS IN CONCEAL THE FACT THAT THERE IS IN HONG KONG
NO ONE FAVOUR OF MAKING THE "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" CONCEPT WORK.
HONG KONG IS ADVOCATING INDEPENDENCE, AND IT IS WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT
ITS OWN SPECIAL NREDS MUST HAVE A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH SUITS
FROM
THE ELSEWHERE. RATHER THAN SIMPLY COPY SOME MODEL
OF GOVERNMENT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD BY AND HAVE CREDIBILITY WITH THE PEOPLE.
SERVED HONG IT NEEDS TO EVOLVE FROM THE EXISTING SYSTEMS, WHICH HAVE
IN A KONG WELL AND WHICH OPERATE
FASHION MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION PUBLIC THAN THE FORMAL
MIGHT SUGGEST. THE CHALLENGE WE FACE IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, AND THE CHINESE FACE IN
DEVELOP THE DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW, IS TO
то SYSTEM
MEET JOINT CHANGING NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS AS WELL AS THE PROVISIONS OF THE DECLARATION
MAINTAINING WHILE
OF EFFECTIVENESS
ADMINISTRATION PLUS
BOTH STABILITY AND CONTINUITY OF POLICIES.
THIS COMMON GOAL. NO PROCESSES MUST WORK TOWARDS
ONE'S INTERESTS AND FOR WILL BE SERVED IF THE BABY IS THROWN OUT WITH THE BATHWATER, THAT REASON, I AM SURE THAT THE CHALLENGE WILL BE MET.
PRESENT
EFFICIENCY AND
WE ARE THEREFORE LIVING
THROUGH
INTERESTING AND
SUCH
CHALLENGING
IT TIMES.
CHALLENGES.
HAS A BUT HONG KONG IS NO STRANGER TO
OVER THE LAST CLEARER IDEA OF ITS LONG-TERM FUTURE THAN AT ANY TIME
STRONG IT IS FACING THE CHALLENGE IN GOOD SHAPE, WITH A FIFTY YEARS. ECONOMY GROWING AT A RATE OF 9 PER CENT, AND WITH FULL EMPLOYMENT
MAINTAINING AND A FIRM COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF CHINA AND BRITAIN TO
THE NOWHERE ELSE IN
WORLD ITS STATUS AS A GREAT INTERNATIONAL CITY.
THAT IS THERE A DOCUMENT
GUARANTEES THAT THE
OF ESSENTIALS
THE UNTIL 2047. PRESENT ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE WILL BE RETAINED
ECONOMY AND DYNAMIC THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME FOR HONG KONG'S BUOYANT
WHO SOCIETY TO CONTINUE TO GROW: IT IS FIRMLY IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL HAVE A STAKE HERE THAT THEY SHOULD.