XN000022-1984-10-16 — Page 5

FUESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1984

+wE SOMEHOW NEED TO SURMOUNT THIS OBSTACLE.

+AS A START SHOULD WE NOT RECOGNISE THAT PAST EXPERIENCES AND HISTORY SHOULD ONLY SERVE AS A GUIDE TO ANY PROCESS OF EVALUATION?

+THEY SHOULD NOT INHIBIT US FROM MAKING A MORE OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE PRESENT OR THE FUTURE.

+SHOULD WE NOT THEN ATTEMPT TO EXAMINE ALL THE FACTS AND FACTORS, INCLUSIVE OF THE JOINT DECLARATION PLUS ITS EQUALLY BINDING ANNEXES, THAT MAY HAVE A BEARING ON OUR FUTURE WITHOUT UNDUE INFLUENCE FROM OUR DOUBTS OR FEARS?

+ I HAVE GONE THROUGH SUCH A PROCESS AND MY CONCLUSION IS THAT THERE ARE GROUNDS FOR OPTIMISM IN OUR FUTURE.

+HENCE,

I ENDORSE THE JOINT DECLARATION AND COMMEND IT TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, MR CHEONG CONTINUED, THE NEGOTIATORS ON BOTH SIDES HAD SUCCEEDED IN PUTTING TOGETHER, IN REASONABLY CLEAR AND CONCISE LANGUAGE, A COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE AND, IN SO DOING, SUCCEEDED IN PRESERVING THE INSTITUTIONS, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS WHICH PLAYED A CRUCIAL PART IN THE MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC CONFIDENCE.

IN THE SECOND PLACE, IT WAS A FACT THAT LEADERS OF CHINA HAD REPEATEDLY PUBLICISED THE IR FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE POLICY THAT HONG KONG'S PREVIOUS CAPITAL IST SYSTEM WOULD REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997, AND THAT HONG KONG WOULD BECOME AN SAR OF CHINA WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY.

J

IN THE THIRD PLACE, GIVEN THE THRUST OF CHINA'S MODERNISATIO. PROGRAMME AND THE OPENING UP OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES, AND THE EFFECTIVE ROLE HONG KONG MIGHT PLAY IN BOTH, IT WAS AS MUCH IN CHINA'S INTEREST AS OURS THAT HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE TO FEEL CONFIDENT ABOUT THE FUTURE. WITHOUT WHICH INGREDIENT WE COULD NEITHER PROSPER NOR BE STABLE.

+AS HONG KONG PROGRESSES TOWARDS A HIGHER DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, WE SHOULD CONTINUOUSLY BEAR AT THE BACK OF OUR MINDS THAT THE FUTURE IS WHAT WE WILL MAKE OF IT,+ MR CHEONG SAL....

+MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE AUTONOMY THAT HAS BEEN PROMISED MUST NOT ONLY BE EARNED BUT SHOULD ALSO BE SEEN TO BE WELL- DESERVED.

+THERE IN LIES OUR BEST GUARANTEE FOR THE FUTURE AGAINST POSSIBLE UNDUE INTERFERENCE FROM CHINA.+

MR CHEONG SAID POLITICALLY WE HAD BEEN SEPARATED FROM CHINA FOR MANY YEARS, AND IN HIS VIEW, AND IF THERE WAS ONE SINGLE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS IN HONG KONG WHO COULD EXPLAIN THE INGREDIENTS OF THE STABLE ENVIRONMENT UNDER WHICH HONG KONG HAD PROSPERED, IT WAS THE SENIOR ECHELONS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE.

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/+THUS I

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