MONDAY, MAY 30, 1988
"IN EVERY CASE WE SECURED WHAT HONG KONG NEEDED. THE TRUE IN THE LAND COMMISSION. AND THIS VERY PRACTICAL AND WORK GOES ON."
THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP HAD NOT INTERFERED ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG, NOR WOULD IT DO SO "IT IS A CONSULTATION AND CO-OPERATION IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE."
SAME NECESSARY
IS
IN MEANS OF AND ITS
THE
AREA OF WERE
SIR GEOFFREY NOTED THAT CONTROVERSY HAD ARISEN IN THE L'ONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, AND SAID THIS WAS NOT SURPRISING AS THERE DEEPLY AND SINCERELY HELD VIEWS ON THIS SUBJECT IN HONG KONG AS IN ANY OTHER COMMUNITY, AND THEY DIFFERED.
BUT HE SAID THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WERE RESPONDING TO THE WIDELY EXPRESSED DESIRE IN HONG KONG FOR MORE PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS ONLY THREE YEARS SINCE THE FIRST ELECTED SEATS OF ANY KIND WERE INTRODUCED INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND, IN ONLY THREE YEARS FROM NOW, 10 DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS WOULD BE INTRODUCED.
THIS WAS NOT A LONG INTERVAL, BUT IT WAS, HE BELIEVED, A REASONABLE RESPONSE TO THE WIDESPREAD WISH FOR EVOLUTION TO BE STEADY AND GRADUAL.
FURTHER CHANGES WOULD BE NECESSARY AFTER 1991 TO MEET THE JOINT DECLARATION PROVISION FOR A LEGISLATURE ALL OF WHOSE MEMBERS WERE ELECTED.
"IT IS NOW CLEAR THAT THE BASIC LAW WILL INCLUDE A SUBSTANTIAL DIRECTLY ELECTED COMPONENT IN THE POST-1997 LEGISLATURE. WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY IN A SHORT TIME,' HE ADDED.
11
AT THE OUTSET OF HIS SPEECH, SIR GEOFFREY PAID TRIBUTE TO THE VIBRANCY OF HONG KONG AND ITS PEOPLE, AND THEIR REMARKABLE DEVELOPMENTS, AND SAID THE TERRITORY AND ITS FUTURE HAD BEEN VERY HIGH ON HIS LIST OF PRIORITIES SINCE HE BECAME FOREIGN SECRETARY YEARS AGO.
HE SAID: "LIKE MOST OTHERS WHO WATCH STUNNED BY YOUR SPECTACULAR ECONOMIC SUCCESSES; AND INVESTMENT; YOUR FULL EMPLOYMENT; YOUR AMBITIOUS DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. YOU ARE THE EASTERN ECONOMIC MANAGERS."
FROM
FIVE
OUTSIDE, I AM YOUR BOOMING TRADE GDP GROWTH; YOUR ENVY OF WESTERN AND
BUT HE SAID HE WAS WELL AWARE THAT HONG KONG ALSO HAD ITS PROBLEMS, AND REFERRING TO THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE PROBLEM, HE POINTED OUT THAT HE HAD BEGUN HIS PROGRAMME HERE BY LOOKING AT THIS ISSUE.
/HOWEVER, HE