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MAJOR DECISIONS ON THINGS LIKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE: DECISION WAS TAKEN THIS YEAR TO GO AHEAD ON TATE'S CAIRN TUNNEL; DECISION WAS TAKEN ON THE NEXT CONTAINER TERMINAL. ALL THESE ARR MAJOR LONG-TERM PLANS. OTHER THINGS, CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. WE HAD A VERY LONG DEBATE IN 1987, A GREAT DEAL SAID ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE. WE HAVE NOW TAKEN A FIRM DECISION FOR A MAJOR STEP FORWARD 1991 WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF AN BLEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS.
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WE HAVE TACKLED, FACED AND TACKLED, PROBLEMS 1.1KK THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE ISSUE. WE HAVEN'T SOLVED IT, BUT WE ARE FACING UP TO IT AND LOOKING FOR WAYS IN WHICH WE SHOULD TRY ΤΟ DEAL WITH IT. AND WE HAVE LOOKED AHEAD TO MAJOR PLANS FOR THE LONG-TERM FUTURE IN A WAY WHICH DOES NOT LIMIT US TO THAT DATE 1997 BUT LOOKS WELL BEYOND IT: THINKING IN TERMS OF THE DECISION NEXT YEAR ON THE AIRPORT, THE DECISION ON PORT EXPANSION.
SO I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL TERMS A LOT OF PROBLEMS FACED, SOLUTIONS LOOKED FOR, A NUMBER OF THOSE THINGS ALREADY TACKLED, OTHER THINGS TO BE TACKLED NEXT YEAR.
LIU: SIR DAVID, HOW WOULD YOU ASSESS HONG KONG'S POLITICAL CLIMATE AT THIS POINT? WE HAVE JUST WITNESSED DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST THE LATEST BASIC LAW PROPOSAL, CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE VOICED THEIR CONCERNS ON A NUMBER OF HUNGER STRIKES, AND ABOUT ESTIMATED TO BE LEAVING HONG KONG THIS YEAR. ARE GOOD FOR HONG KONG?
50,000 PEOPLE ARE THESE DEVELOPMENTS
THINGS TOGETHER
GOVERNOR: I WOULDN'T PUT ALL THESE NECESSARILY. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF DEBATE IN HONG KONG. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL MORE DEBATE ACTUALLY LAST YEAR.
LET'S TAKE THE BASIC LAW FOR INSTANCE. THE INTERESTING POINT ABOUT THAT, I THOUGHT, WAS THE WAY IN WHICH THE FORMULATION OF THE BASIC LAW HAS BEEN CARRIED OUT IN A VERY OPEN PROCESS. WE HAVE HAD TWO GROUPS OF MAINLAND DRAFTERS COMING DOWN TO HONG KONG, TRYING TO SEEK HONG KONG OPINIONS; A LOT OF OPINIONS PUT FORWARD. PROPOSALS ARE NOW BEING MADE FOR A SECOND DRAFT OF THE BASIC LAW WHICH SEEM TO HAVE TAKEN ACCOUNT OF MOST OF THOSE OPINIONS PUT FORWARD IN HONG KONG, AND I AM TALKING HERE ABOUT THE MAIN TEXT OF THE BASIC LAW, NOT THE ANNEXES ON THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE AFTER 1997. SO, THAT HAS BEEN A MAJOR PART OF WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON.
OF COURSE IN ANY POLITICAL DEBATE YOU HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OR WHO ARE PUTTING FORWARD NEW IDEAS. THERE IS A LOT THAT IS HEALTHY IN THAT. WE ARE A VERY ACTIVE SOCIETY, ONE WHICH TAKES A LOT OF INTEREST NOW IN POLITICAL MATTERS, SO THERE IS A LOT THAT IS HEALTHY IN THAT.
NOW YOUR SECOND PART WAS PEOPLE LEAVING HONG KONG, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THESE TWO NECESSARILY GO TOGETHER. I HAVE SAID A NUMBER OF TIMES THAT HONG KONG IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE HAVE COME IN AND PEOPLE HAVE MOVED ON. THAT IS SOMETHING TRADITIONAL ABOUT HONG KONG. THE NUMBERS LEAVING HAVE INCREASED RECENTLY. IT CREATES SOME PROBLEMS US AS A SOCIETY. THEY ARE NOT CRISIS-LIKE PROBLEMS, BUT THEY PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT AND SEE IF THERE TACKLE THEM.
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