TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1992
HOWARD YOUNG:
13
DO YOU CANADA,
SIR, BEFORE I ASK MY QUESTION I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MENTION THAT YOUR QUESTION DIRECTED TO MY COLLEAGUE 1 CRC, HONOURABLE EDWARD HO, ON YOUR PACKAGE AND THE BASIC LAW, I DID MENTION TO YOU MY VIEWS ON THE 13TH OF OCTOBER WHEN WE SPOKE PRIVATELY AND ALSO 14TH AND 22ND OCTOBER AND THEN CULMINATING ON THE 5TH NOVEMBER IN A LETTER то YOU AND I SHALL NOT ELABORATE. SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK WHY THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO SOLICIT SUPPORT FROM UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA AND EVEN JAPAN FAR AWAY FOR THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PACKAGE, WHICH AT THE LEAST A DOMESTIC ISSUE, OR AT THE MOST IS AN ISSUE BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN? BECAUSE, YOURSELF SIR, BEING A GREAT SCHOLAR OF HISTORY, BEARING IN MIND THE HISTORY OF HOW HONG KONG CAMB ABOUT, WOULD 1T NOT RISK UNNECESSARILY AROUSING NATIONALISTIC SENTIMENT WHICH WILL BE DIVISIBLE IN HONG KONG AND ALSO DIVISIVE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA?
GOVERNOR:
WHICH I MEAN,
I THINK THAT WITH RESPECT TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER I THINK THAT ONE SHOULDN'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT THE ATTACKS ON THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG FOR DOING THIS OR THAT ARE ALWAYS ACCURATE. t HAVEN'T ATTEMPTED TO SOLICIT SUPPORT; I HAVE FOUND AROUND THE WORLD A GREAT DEAL OF INTEREST IN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG KONG, BUT THE COUNTRIES WHICH I HAVE RECENTLY VISITED, CANADA AND JAPAN, I ASSUME THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD LEAVE THE UNITED KINGDOM OUT OF THE PICTURE BECAUSE THAT, AFTER ALL, IS THE PRESENT SOVEREIGN POWER.
IN CANADA AND JAPAN, THE GOVERNMENTS RECOGNISE THAT THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS ABOVE ALL A MATTER FOR HONG KONG, FOR CHINA AND FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM. BUT THEY ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN THAT SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION. WHEN I WAS IN JAPAN, I WAS ASKED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS BY JOURNALISTS WHETHER I WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT JAPAN HADN'T ENDORSED MY PACKAGE. I POINTED OUT THAT BEFORE I WENT TO JAPAN I HAD SAID THAT I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT FROM JAPAN OR SEEK THAT FROM JAPAN. SO, IF YOU HAVEN'T EXPECTED SOMETHING то HAPPEN OR ASKED FOR SOMETHING TO HAPPEN YOU CAN'T BE DISAPPOINTED THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, IF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SEES WHAT I MEAN. DON'T SEEK TO SOLICIT SUPPORT FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD FOR THE PROPOSALS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG HAS PUT FORWARD, BUT I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THERE 15 INTEREST IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD IN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG KONG SINCE HONG KONG IS ONE OF THE GREATEST INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL CENTRES IN THE WORLD, AND SINCE IT'S IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORLD THAT HONG KONG SHOULD REMAIN PRECISELY LIKE THAT AND WHAT DO 1 THINK OF THE MAIN CONDITIONS FOR HONG KONG REMAINING LIKE THAT I'LL TELL THE HONOURABLE MEMBER. I THINK THAT THE MAIN CONDITIONS ARE TO RETAIN AN OPEN MARKET ECONOMY AND THE RULE OF LAW AND THOSE ARE MY MAIN OBJECTIVES.
PETER WONG:
1
I WISH TO FOLLOW UP YOUR ANSWER то THE HONOURABLE COLLEAGUE'S QUESTION ON THE VOTING THE THREE OFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. EACH OF US,
THE UNOFFICIAL MENDERS, ARE FREE ΤΟ VOTE ACCORDING TO OUR OWN WISH OR CONSCIENCE. WE ACCORD THE SAME FREEDOM ΤΟ THE THREE OFFICIALS SO THEY CAN VOTE ACCORDING TO THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE.
GOVERNOR:
COURSE, BUT IT WOULD
EXECUTIVE'S POLICIES. 50,
OFFICIAL MENDERS OF THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE, DIDN'T AGREE BONG LONG
QUESTION, BUT MY SENIOR OFFICIALS HAVE, LIKE THE HONOURABLE PRINCIPLES TO WHICH THEY ADHERE VERY STRONGLY.
DATUMTS
SURPRISING
FIND IT
MEMBERS, WITH THE SLIGHTLY CURIOUS MEMBERS,
I THINK THAT BETTER
THE LAST ONE, 1'M SORRY,
/S T TANG! SIR,