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"Clearly, it would be the best outcome if we can go forward on these important issues with the co-operation and agreement of the Chinese side. That is a goal worth striving for, and a little more patience is a price worth paying," he said.
Mr Lai said the views expressed by LegCo members in the debate had clearly reflected the strong feelings in the community about the situation of Mr Wei Jingsheng.
"The British Foreign Secretary, Mr Rifkind, has made representations to the Chinese Government several times with senior Chinese officials during his recent visit to Beijing," he said.
On LegCo members' concern about the possible implications arising from Mr Wei's case, and the inferences that might be drawn on the future application and interpretation of Basic Law Article 23 concepts after 1997, Mr Lai stressed that under the "One Country, Two Systems" arrangements provided for in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, the Hong Kong SAR would have laws and a legal system based on the common law that would be different from the rest of China.
"This is the most important point, which should not be forgotten when we talk about the concepts in Basic Law Article 23.
"It is, of course, obviously in Hong Kong's interest to be able to have certainty and clarity on how these various concepts will be defined and interpreted as soon as possible. I believe this objective is shared both by many Honourable Members and by the Administration," he said.
Mr Lai pointed out that the legislation relating to these various concepts should, first, balance the need to protect freedom of expression by the individual with the need to protect public order and security; secondly that it should be consistent with the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, the Bill of Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as applied to Hong Kong; and finally, that it should be capable of continuing in force after 1997.
"We have informed the LegCo Information Panel last July that we had submitted proposals to the Chinese side, through the JLG, on how to localise the Official Secrets Acts and to adapt the Crimes Ordinance in a manner consistent with these requirements.
"The proposals we have made are entirely consistent with the Joint Declaration, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Bill of Rights and the Basic Law," he said.
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