2
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1994
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IS THE
IT'S IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TWO ISSUES WHEN ONE LOOKS AT THE LAW. FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF THE LOCALISATION OF LAWS; AND ON LOCALISATION, I DON'T THINK THERE IS A REAL CONCEPTUAL DIFFICULTY. THE DIFFICULTY WE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE ONE OF GETTING THROUGH THE WORK IN TIME. THERE ARE ABOUT 150, MAYBE SLIGHTLY MORE, UK LAWS THAT WE HAVE TO LOCALISE. THAT WILL INVOLVE US, WE BELIEVE, IN ABOUT 32 PIECES OF LEGISLATION HERE IN HONG KONG. WE'VE SO FAR AGREED 13 OF THOSE PIECES OF LOCALISATION THROUGH THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, LEAVING US, BY A PROCESS OF ARITHMETIC, WITH A FURTHER 19 TO GO. AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE'LL MAKE GOOD SPEED IN DEALING WITH THOSE.
THE SECOND QUESTION IS ADAPTATION OF LAWS, AND ON ADAPTATION THERE IS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS THE PROCESS THROUGH THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. I HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE A GOOD DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT JOINT LIAISON GROUP MEETING, A LITTLE LATER THIS YEAR. IF, FOLLOWING WHAT AMBASSADOR GUO SAYS, HE'S NOT HAPPY WITH THE PROPOSALS WE'VE PUT ON MIDNIGHT LEGISLATION, THAT IS MIDNIGHT ON THE 30TH JUNE 1997, THEN WE'LL BE INTERESTED IN HEARING OTHER IDEAS FROM AMBASSADOR GUO AND THE CHINESE SIDE.
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ON
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I NOTICE THAT AMBASSADOR GUO SAID THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE IN HONG KONG, ADVISERS TO THE PRC, WHO WERE WORKING THIS ISSUE. MAYBE AND IT'S A SUGGESTION WHICH IS MEANT HELPFULLY MAYBE WE COULD ASSOCIATE THEIR WORK AND THEIR ENDEAVOURS IN SOME WAY WITH THE WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. BUT WE DO IF WE'RE то AVOID HAVING ONE OR TWO POTENTIAL HOLES IN THE STATUTE BOOK HAVE ΤΟ FIND WAYS OF DEALING WITH THESE MATTERS, AND NO AMOUNT SPEECHES, INTERESTING AS THEY ARE, WILL HELP TO BRIDGE THOSE GAPS.
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WE DO
OF
IT'S A SERIOUS ISSUE. IT AFFECTS EVERYBODY'S WELL- BEING AND PROSPERITY, POTENTIALLY. I DON'T SAY THAT IN ANY THREATENING WAY, IT'S A STATEMENT OF FACT. IF BUSINESSES ARE WORRIED ABOUT GAPS IN THE LAW IN HONG KONG, THEY'LL SIGN CONTRACTS ELSEWHERE.
QUESTION:
GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH YOU PROPOSED TO INVITE THE PWC MEMBERS TO JOIN IN THE EXPERT GROUP OF JLG BUT THE RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE IS NOT SO GOOD. SO WILL YOU PROPOSE A NEW IDEA TO IMPROVE SINO-BRITISH RELATION WHEN YOU MEET WITH MR DOUGLAS HURD?
GOVERNOR:
WE HAVEN'T HAD A FORMAL RESPONSE TO THAT PROPOSAL. I'M
NOT SURE WHETHER YOU HAVE, BUT WE HAVEN'T.
QUESTION:
GOVERNOR, THIS MORNING, THE CHINESE SIDE SAID ONCE AGAIN THAT IF THE BRITISH HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR AND NOTHING TO HIDE, THEN THEY SHOULD REOPEN TENDERS FOR CTS AND ALSO OPEN TENDER FOR AND CT11. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THAT?
THE WE
GOVERNOR:
MY RESPONSE IS WHAT I'VE SAID BEFORE. WE ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO, IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, PORT DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG IN A COMPETITIVE WAY. PRIVATE TREATY GRANT WHICH BROUGHT IN SOME NEW PLAYERS, INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR CONTAINER TERMINALS PREPARED TO COMMIT SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT TO HONG KONG. OFFICIALS WHO HANDLED THAT, HANDLED IT AS WE HANDLE ALL OUR
IN
PLAYERS,
HONG KONG, STRICTLY ABOVE BOARD ACCORDING TO COMMERCIAL I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S HELPFUL TO HONG KONG ISSUES AND WE DON'T INTEND TO DO 80.
TO
CT10
PROCEEDED, SUCCESSFUL
PROPOSED A EXPERIENCED WHO WERE NOW THE BUSINESS
CRITERIA.
POLITICISE
THESE
/QUESTION: