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FRIDAY, MARCH 12, 1993
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ROBIN MCLAREN,
PETER
WE HAVE ALSO SAID TO THE CHINESE SIDE THAT SIR THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO CHINA, WOULD BE THE BRITISH REPRESENTATIVE, SUPPORTED BY A TEAM CONSISTING OF MICHAEL SZE, THE SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, WILLIAM EHRMAN, THE POLITICAL ADVISER, LAI, THE DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, AND PETER RICKETTS, HEAD OF THE HONG KONG DEPARTMENT IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE. THERE WOULD BE NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE TEAM FROM HONG KONG AND FROM LONDON.
LET ME RECAP BRIEFLY THE HISTORY OF OUR RECENT EXCHANGES WITH THE CHINESE SIDE, SO THAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS CAN BE CLEAR IN THEIR OWN MINDS HOW MATTERS HAVE PROCEEDED. AS I INDICATED IN MY STATEMENT LAST WEEK, HAVING RECEIVED A POSITIVE RESPONSE ON THE PRINCIPLE OF TALKS FROM THE CHINESE SIDE, I DECIDED TO POSTPONE OUR ORIGINAL PLAN FOR GAZETTAL ON 12 FEBRUARY, WHILE MAKING CLEAR TO THE CHINESE SIDE THAT THERE COULD NOT BE AN INDEFINITE DELAY, GIVEN THE PRACTICAL NEED ΤΟ PRESS AHEAD WITH LEGISLATION. WE PROPOSED AN EARLY STARTING DATE FOR THE TALKS.
A SOLUTION ΤΟ
DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF
THE REMAINING DIFFICULTIES, I DECIDED, WITH THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, TO DELAY GAZETTAL FOR A SECOND TIME ON 19 FEBRUARY AND A THIRD TIME ON 26 FEBRUARY. LAST WEEK, I TOLD THE COUNCIL OF OUR DECISION TO DELAY GAZETTAL FOR A FOURTH TIME.
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I EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCIL THAT WE WISHED TO GO THE EXTRA MILE AND GIVE THE CHINESE SIDE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND. TODAY IS THE FIFTH FRIDAY SINCE WE ORIGINALLY DECIDED ΤΟ DEFER GAZETTAL. UNFORTUNATELY THE OUTSTANDING DIFFERENCES HAVE NOT BEEN RESOLVED AND WE STILL HAVE NO DATE FOR TALKS. I HAVE TO TELL THE COUNCIL THAT WE HAVE NOT EVEN BEEN ABLE TO OBTAIN AGREEMENT, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT TALKS COULD BE MADE EARLY NEXT WEEK. I HAVE MADE CLEAR THAT WE COULD NOT GO ON DEFERRING GAZETTAL INDEFINITELY. HAVING DEFERRED GAZETTAL ON FOUR OCCASIONS, I HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED, WITH THE ADVICE OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, ΤΟ GAZETTE THE DRAFT LEGISLATION THIS AFTERNOON. HAVING TAKEN THIS DECISION, WE WILL HAVE ΤΟ JUDGE, IN THE LIGHT OF SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENTS, WHEN TO INTRODUCE THE DRAFT LEGISLATION INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
I WANT TO EMPHASISE TO HONOURABLE MEMBERS AND TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE THAT WE REMAIN READY TO HOLD TALKS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS. THE REMAINING ISSUES ARE MATTERS WHICH, GIVEN THE WILL, COULD BE SOLVED QUICKLY. I STILL HOPE THEY CAN BE. FOR OUR PART, WE HAVE DONE ALL WE REASONABLY CAN. THAT IS HOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO ACT.
THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT.
/PRESIDENT