3
Other issues such as the continuation of the Hong Kong dollar link with the US dollar and fears over increased corruption were also raised.
However, Mrs Chan emphasised that the dollar link would continue and that extra measures were being taken to ensure that the Independent Commission Against Corruption was fully equipped to carry out its work to effectively combat corruption now and after 1997.
At meetings in Bonn this morning, both the German Minister of Economic Affairs, Dr Gunter Rexrodt, and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Helmut Shafer, indicated that Germany was interested in Hong Kong continuing much as it was now - a major business centre, protected by the rule of law. They hoped German investment would continue to grow and that relations with Hong Kong would be strengthened.
They also said that Germany would like to continue using Hong Kong as a base from which to do business with China and the region as a whole. They stressed the benefits of having more exchanges of visitors between Germany and Hong Kong.
Mrs Chan also had meetings with the German Ministry of Finance and the Vice President of the Bundestag, Mr Klose.
The Chief Secretary also was a special guest at a working luncheon organised by the prestigious Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Guests included politicians, government officials, business executives, academics and representatives of the German media.
End/Friday, April 28, 1995
Administration of Justice Bill gazetted
The Administration of Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) (No. 2) Bill 1995, which incorporates a number of amendments regarding press freedom, human rights and the criminal law, was gazetted today (Friday).
A spokesman for the Legal Department today said in respect of press freedom, the Bill proposes to repeal an offence of defamatory libel and certain restrictions on the publication of reports of judicial proceedings, and to relax restrictions on the reporting of a preparatory hearing of a complex commercial crime.