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TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 1988
THE ECONOMY IN 1987 HAD RECORDED ITS SECOND SUCCESSIVE YEAR OF DOUBLE DIGIT GROWTH AND ALTHOUGH SOME SLOWDOWN WAS EXPECTED THIS YEAR MOST PEOPLE WERE QUIETLY CONFIDENT THAT 1988 WOULD BE QUITE A GOOD YEAR.
"THIS ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC POSITION UNDERPINS GOVERNMENT PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE, HE SAID.
MI
"WE MADE SUBSTANTIAL
PROGRESS IN THE PROVISION OF SOCIAL SERVICES IN 1987 AND HAVE ANNOUNCED FORWARD LOOKING PLANS WHICH WILL ENSURE THAT PROGRESS IS MAINTAINED."
SIR DAVID SAID THAT, LOOKING BEYOND 1988, HE BELIEVED THAT THESE SAME CONCERNS AND THE GOVERNMENT'S ABILITY TO MEET THEM WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE BACKGROUND AGAINST WHICH HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD ASSESS THEIR OWN SITUATION, DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD, AND AFTER 1997.
CITY,
BREN
IN EXPANDING ON THE HONG KONG-CHINA RELATIONSHIP, THE CHIRF SECRETARY SAID THAT THOUGH HONG KONG WAS INDISPUTABLY A CHINESE THE INDISPENSABLE FOUNDATION FOR ITS PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY HAD THE RULE OF LAW, BASED ON THE BRITISH COMMON LAW SYSTEM.
"THIS HAS GIVEN EVERYONE IN HONG KONG A REASONABLE DEGREE OF CERTAINTY IN THEIR RELATIONS WITH THOSE IN AUTHORITY, AND A CREDIBLE GUARANTEE THAT THEIR RIGHT TO LIFE, LIBERTY AND ENJOYMENT OF THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOURS WILL NOT BE ARBITRARILY WITHDRAWN, HE SAID.
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THE RULE OF LAW WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION. FURTHERMORE, ITS SURVIVAL AFTER 1997 WAS SET OUT CLEARLY IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE MAIN THEME OF WHICH WAS THE PRESERVATION OF THOSE AREAS OF LEGAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ORGANISATION THAT DISTINGUISHED HONG KONG FROM CHINA.
SIR DAVID OBSERVED THAT ANOTHER ESSENTIAL FACT OF LIFE FOR HONG KONG HAD LONG BEEN ITS GEOGRAPHICAL AND POLITICAL POSITION IN RELATION TO CHINA.
THIS, TOGETHER WITH THE FACT OF THE 1997 LEASE, HAD MEANT THAT THERE HAD ALWAYS BEEN A LIMIT TO CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
"IT HAS MEANT, FOR INSTANCE, THAT TO MOVE TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE HAS NEVER BEEN AN OPTION FOR HONG KONG. THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT LIMITATION; IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL UNDERSTOOD BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG."
NOT
OF THE CONSTRAINTS IMPOSED
INVOLVED ANY SERIOUS
BY
BUT HE SAID AN UNDERSTANDING GEOGRAPHICAL AND POLITICAL POSITION HAD RESTRICTIONS ON FREEDOM IN HONG KONG.
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