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Mr Cheung Man-kwong (in Chinese): Mr President, the Vice Premier, Mr Qian Qichen, has already stated that the Provisional Legislature is a' fact: what is done is done. The Secretary wishes to seek common ground; we are talking about three governments, of course. Does that mean that there is a new consensus of opinion that as long as the Chinese side undertakes that the Provisional Legislature would not interfere with the Legislative Council, then the Government would silently agree with the following: that the Provisional Legislature would come into place after 1997? Would the Government undertake to see that the pre-1997 Government would not interfere with the post-1997 Government?
You have said that the Provisional Legislature is not necessary and not desirable but still it might be set up and you can have nothing to do with that or you can do nothing about it, rather.
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CS: Mr President, I think the Government has made it abundantly clear what its position is on the Provisional Legislature. We have said and will continue to say that in our view it is neither necessary nor desirable to have a Provisional Legislature. We have a Legislature which has been returned through open and fair elections in the elections that were conducted in September of last year.
Clearly, in terms of continuity and in terms of giving confidence to the community of Hong Kong, it would be best for this Legislature to be able to continue to function for its full four year term, that is to continue after 1997. That has been our consistent position and it will be our position.
Mr Howard Young: Mr President, it appears that the bone of contention is still the Provisional Legislature. I would like to know whether the Chief Secretary has considered perhaps the best way out is for both sides to stop arguing on the legitimacy or otherwise of the whatever it is called Legislature of the future, but explore whether there are any practical ways to have some sort of working relationship, provided that the Provisional Legislature does not concern itself with any affairs before 1997, and perhaps even provided that it does not do anything within the territorial boundaries of Hong Kong, than if there is a practical need for civil servants to have some sort of assistance which might help a smooth transition? Has the Government explored such possibilities, or is it willing to?
CS: Mr President, without in any way accepting the proviso that the Honourable Howard Young has stipulated, I of course agree that notwithstanding that there are fundamental differences between the two sides on the Provisional Legislature, nevertheless we must not allow disagreement in this area to prevent us from exploring and maximising the scope for co-operation in other areas so that we can make the transition as smooth as possible. I believe that to be the wish of the community and to be the wish, also, of the civil servants.