N
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1994
GOVERNOR:
THERE IS A LOT PACKED INTO THAT QUESTION. LET ME DEAL
WITH THE GENERAL AND THEN THE PARTICULAR.
IT IS NOT HELPFUL FOR US TO ENGAGE IN RHETORIC, WHETHER OF THE 'IT IS ALL A DISASTER' SCHOOL OR OF THE 'WE HAVE A BREAKTHROUGH' SCHOOL: WE JUST HAVE TO BE VERY PATIENT AND WE HAVE TO RECOGNISE THE HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IF WE ARE TO DISCHARGE OUR RESPONSIBILITY COMPETENTLY AND HONOURABLY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THAT IS A RESPONSIBILITY FOR BRITAIN, A RESPONSIBILITY FOR CHINA, AND A RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FOR WHICH I AM
PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE.
THIS IS THE MOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG
SEEING IS BELIEVING. THEY WILL WANT TO SEE EXAMPLES OF BETTER CO-OPERATION BEFORE THEY ARE PREPARED TO GIVE THREE CHEERS. I AM OF THE VIEW THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH OF AN ALTERNATIVE, EXCEPT FOR US TO WORK TOGETHER BETTER. I SHALL BE VERY DISAPPOINTED IF THAT DOES NOT TURN INTO SOME PRACTICAL ADVANCE.
I NOTED WHAT VICE PREMIER QIAN QICHEN SAID YESTERDAY ABOUT THE AIRPORT AND THE MINUTE, WHICH WAS REMARKABLY SIMILAR TO WHAT I SAID AT THE TDC DINNER. WHEN WE HAVE AGREED THAT MINUTE, WE THEN HAVE TWO FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS WHICH WE NEED TO DEAL WITH AS SWIFTLY AS POSSIBLE. THAT SHOULD BE A FAIRLY TECHNICAL MATTER BECAUSE ONCE YOU HAVE AGREED THE AGGREGATE FIGURES AND THE OVERALL MINUTE, THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS WHICH ACTUALLY GO TO MAKE IT UP SHOULD FOLLOW QUITE NATURALLY. I HOPE THAT THAT PROVES, IN PRACTICE, TO THE CASE.
BE
I NOW TURN TO ONE PARTICULAR AREA OF CO-OPERATION. PERHAPS I SHOULD SAY IT IS AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE NOT CO-OPERATED QUITE AS SUCCESSFULLY AS WE WOULD LIKE, AND THAT IS IN ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR HONG KONG'S LAWS AS WELL AS FOR OTHER MATTERS.
IS
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THERE ARE TWO DISTINCT AREAS. THE FIRST IS THE LOCALISATION OF LAWS, THAT IS UNITED KINGDOM LAWS WHICH NEED TO BE TRANSLATED INTO A FORM WHICH IS ADEQUATE FOR HONG KONG BEFORE AND AFTER 1997. WITH THE LOCALISATION OF LAWS WE ARE MAKING REASONABLE PROGRESS, ALTHOUGH THERE STILL QUITE A LOT TO BE DONE. ROUGHLY SPEAKING AND THESE ARE RULE OF THUMB FIGURES WE HAVE DONE ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF WHAT IS REQUIRED, THERE IS ABOUT 20 PER CENT IN THE PIPELINE, AND THERE IS ABOUT ANOTHER 40 PER CENT TO DO. I WOULD BE SURPRISED IF CHINESE OFFICIALS WOULD DISAGREE WITH ME IN MY ESTIMATE THAT WE ARE MAKING REASONABLE PROGRESS ON LOCALISATION AND SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET THAT WORK SATISFACTORILY PUT AWAY BEFORE 30TH JUNE 1997.
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FOR
THERE IS ANOTHER ISSUE, WHICH IS THE ADAPTATION OF LAWS. THAT IS, HONG KONG'S LAWS, MADE IN HONG KONG, OR SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION WHICH HAS IN IT FEATURES WHICH MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE AFTER 1997. EXAMPLE, YOU CAN SEE THAT IN AN ENTIRELY PROSAIC, TECHNICAL WAY, USE OF EXPRESSIONS LIKE CROWN' OR 'CROWN LAND', OR YOU CAN SEE IT A WAY WHICH INVOLVES, CONCIEVABLY, SUBSTANTIAL ISSUES OF POLICY.
+
THE
IN
/THERE IS,