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FIRST STEPS IN DIRECTLY ELECTED DEMOCRACY IN 1991: FOREIGN SECRETARY
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THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS. MR DOUGLAS HURD, SAID TODAY (MONDAY) IT IS CERTAIN THAT HONG KONG WILL ACHIEVE IN 1991 A MOMENTOUS CHANGE IN THE WAY IT IS GOVERNED BY TAKING THE FIRST STEPS IN DIRECTLY ELECTED DEMOCRACY.
"WHAT 15 ALSO CERTAIN IS THAT THESE STEPS WILL BE BIGGER THAN WAS PROPOSED BY US TWO YEARS AGO IN THE WHITE PAPER, MR HURD SAID.
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SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON JOINTLY HOSTED BY THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID: "IF POSSIBLE, THE SYSTEM WE ESTABLISH BEFORE 1997 SHOULD BE PART OF A PROCESS WHICH WILL CONTINUE IN THE YEARS THEREAFTER.'
"THAT WOULD BE THE BEST PRIZE. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN SCORING DEBATING POINTS. HE ADDED.
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"WE WANT
TO START A PROCESS OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG WHICH WILL ATTRACT SENSIBLE PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL TO PLAY A FULL ROLE IN POLITICAL LIFE. THIS IS MOST LIKELY TO BE ACHIEVED IF THEY CAN SEE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE AND PROGRESS AFTER 1997, HE SAID.
MR HURD SAID SINCE HE BECAME FOREIGN SECRETARY,
E HAD SPENT MUCH TIME ON HONG KONG ISSUES AND SO HAD OTHER MEMBERS OF HIS MINISTERIAL TEAM MR FRANCIS MAUDE IN PARTICULAR.
"THERE
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IS NOTHING SURPRISING ABOUT THAT. HONG KONG MATTERS TO BRITAIN. IT MATTERS TO ME PERSONALLY. WE HAVE NO INTENTION OF BEING NEGATIVE OR DEFENSIVE ABOUT HONG KONG, EITHER HERE, OR IN PARLIAMENT OR IN DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, HE SAID.
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"YOU ARE ENTITLED TO AN ACTIVE, INTELLIGENT BRITISH POLICY WORKING ON YOUR BEHALF AND THAT 15 WHAT YOU WILL GET, HE ADDED.
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MR HURD SAID HE WOULD DO ALL HE COULD TO ENSURE THAT BRITAIN'S LONG ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG ENDED HONOURABLY FOR BRITAIN AND SUCCESSFULLY FOR HONG KONG.
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DESCRIBING HONG KONG'S 81TUATION AS A UNIQUE ONE, HE SAID TERRITORY'S FUTURE WAS BASED ON THE FAR-SIGHTED CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS, "NOW WE HAVE TO MAKE IT WORK."
"THERE
HE SAID THE TASK WOULD NOT BE EASY OR STRAIGHTFORWARD). ARE NO CONVENIENT PRECEDENTS, NO READY MADE MODELS TO FOLLOW, THERE ARE BOUND TO BE PROBLEMS AND SETBACKS. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF THIS ENTERPRISE."
MR HURD STRESSED THAT THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT JUST SITTING BACK AND LETTING THE CLOCK TICK TOWARDS 1997. "OF COURSE THE CHOICES FROM TIME TO TIME WILL BE HARD. WE SHALL DIFFICULT DECISIONS WHEN THESE ARE NECESSARY, HE SAID.
TAKE
/MR HURD