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Actions to assure HK's future
The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Friday) called upon China to undertake some actions which would help dispel some of the anxieties in and outside Hong Kong about the territory's future prospects.
Speaking at the 50th Conference of Asia-Pacific Council of American Chamber of Commerce, the Governor said one of these actions was to assure people that the rule of law would be maintained after 1997 with the setting up of the Court of Final Appeal.
The Governor said it was agreed in 1991 that a Court of Final Appeal would be set up in Hong Kong.
And in last May, a Draft Bill incorporating in every particular and every detail of the agreement in 1991 had been passed to China.
"Now China continues to say that it wants a Court of Final Appeal, that it stands by the agreement we reached in 1991 and that it's happy to see that court set up before 1997 so that there is no legal vacuum in Hong Kong.
"It hasn't so far, however, responded to the Bill that we handed over last May except to ask a number of technical questions all of which we've answered.
"I hope that China will give its approval to that Bill very soon, will make it clear that it supports the Bill and wants to see it rapidly put on to the statue book."
The Governor said a second example of the "great eloquence of deeds than words would be faster progress on the transitional business which Britain, China and Hong Kong need to complete before the handover of sovereignty".
He said the building of the new airport was one example.
Despite the signing of an overall agreement on the financing of the airport last Autumn, the related parties were still haggling over the Financial Support Agreements, he said.
service.
The third deed, the Governor said, was an appreciation of the non-political civil