9
THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994
MR MARVIN CHEUNG: GOVERNOR, NOW THAT THE POLITICAL REFORM IS OUT OF THE WAY, WILL YOU INFORM THIS COUNCIL WHEN AND IN WHAT MANNER WILL THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION SEEK AGREEMENT FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE DETAILED MECHANICS OF THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY AT MIDNIGHT ON 30TH JUNE, 1997, AND WHEN WILL THESE ARRANGEMENTS BE MADE KNOWN TO the PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO ALLAY ANY ANXIETY OVER THE POSSIBLE CHAOS AND VACUUM OF POWER IN THE IMMEDIATE WEEKS PRECEDING THE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY?
GOVERNOR: THAT IS AN ISSUE THAT WE WILL NEED TO START ADDRESSING WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS SOON. I'M NOT SURE WE'RE QUITE THERE YET BUT AS I SEE FROM THE CLOCKOMETER IN DIRECTOR LU'S OFFICE, THERE'S ONLY JUST OVER 1,000 DAYS TO GO AND WE WILL HAVE ΤΟ START DISCUSSING ARRANGEMENTS SOON. IT'S OUR VIEW THAT THOSE ARRANGEMENTS WILL NEED TO BE AS DIGNIFIED AND SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. 1'M SURE THAT WILL BE THE VIEW ON THE CHINESE SIDE TOO. IT'S NOT JUST A QUESTION OF HANDING OVER THE KEYS TO THE FRONT DOOR. THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF OTHER ARRANGEMENTS THAT WILL NEED TO BE CONCLUDED BUT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD EMBARK ON THAT SOON AND HE'S ALSO RIGHT THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL BE ENTITLED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS PLANNED. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WILL BE THE SORT OF VACUUM THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER REFERS TO. WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PREVENT ANY GAPS IN THE LAW AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A WORRY, NOT LEAST COMMERCIALLY. WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AND I'M SURE THAT IT IS THE WISH TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT THE TRANSITION IS AS SMOOTH AND SUCCESSFUL AS POSSIBLE.
MR MARVIN CHEUNG: MR PRESIDENT, MAY I ASK A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION? WILL THE GOVERNOR ADVISE THIS COUNCIL, OTHER THAN THE NORMAL DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS OR THE JLG, WILL THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION DEAL WITH ANY OTHER ORGAN OR QUASI-GOVERNMENT BODIES OF THE PRC IN THIS PROCESS?
GOVERNOR: THERE WILL, I IMAGINE, NEFD TO BE OTHER CONTACTS. FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN AGREEMENT ON THE DEFENCE ESTATE MUST INEVITABLY BE THAT SOLDIERS WILL HAVE TO TALK TO SOLDIERS ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE RUN UP TO THE 30TH JUNE, 1997. TO SOME EXTENT THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ALREADY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE JLG. BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE WE'VE HAD CONTACTS OUTSIDE THOSE FORMAL CHANNELS AND THE CLOSER WE GET TO 30TH JUNE, 1997, THE MORE EXTENDED AND VARIOUS THOSE CHANNELS ARE LIKELY TO BE.
DR
GO
MR GOVERNOR, I'D LIKE TO
HUANG CHEN-YA (THROUGH INTERPRETFR): BACK TO HONG KONG BUSINESSMEN BEING ILLEGALLY DETAINED IN CHINA. YESTERDAY WHEN I ASKED THE ADMINISTRATION THIS QUESTION THE ADMINISTRATION'S REPLY WAS BASICALLY THAT IT REALLY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THESE CASES. AND SO THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING ΤΟ MUDDLE IT THROUGH AND WASN'T TRYING TO DO ANYTHING AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU THIS, MR GOVERNOR: WOULD YOU ASK THE GOVERNMENT то GIVE THIS COUNCIL A THOROUGH REPORT ON WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS DONE FOR THESE POOR BUSINESSMEN?
/SFCONDLY, WHAT
Page 10Page 11