XN000022-1984-10-18 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1984

SOME UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, HE SAID, REFERRED TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP TO BE ESTABLISHED AFTER THE ENTRY INTO FORCE OF THE AGREEMENT.

THE HON CHAN YING-LUN HAD STRESSED THE NEED FOR THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE GROUP TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED WHILE THE HON DR HENRIETTA IP HAD MENTIONED THAT ANXIETIES WERE BEING EXPRESSED THAT THE GROUP MIGHT ACQUIRE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS.

TO THESE CONCERNS, SIR PHILIP SAID, I THINK A CLOSE STUDY OF THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AS SET OUT IN DETAIL IN ANNEX || WILL REASSURE THEM. THAT ANNEX STATES EXPLICITLY THAT 'THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP SHALL BE AN ORGAN FOR LIAISON AND NOT AN ORGAN OF POWER. IT SHALL PLAY NO PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG OR THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. NOR SHALL IT HAVE ANY SUPERVISORY ROLE OVER THAT ADMINISTRATION'.

+ IT IS IN THE CONTEXT OF THIS EXPLICIT DESCRIPTION OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP THAT I SEE IT PLAYING A USEFUL ROLE RIGHT UP TO THE YEAR 2000.+

ON THE SUGGESTION BY THE HON SELINA CHOW, THE HON FRANCIS TIEN AND THE HON CARL TONG THAT THE GROUP SHOULD INCLUDE HONG KONG MEMBERS, SIR PHILIP DREW MEMBERS' ATTENTION TO THE PROVISION IN ANNEX 11 THAT EACH GOVERNMENT SHOULD DETERMINE THE COMPOSITION OF ITS DELEGATION TO PARTICULAR MEETINGS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP OR SUB-GROUPS.

ON THE QUESTIONS OF DEFENCE AND THE STATIONING OF CHINESE TROOPS IN THE HONG KONG SAR AFTER 1997, HE SAID THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE AT THIS STAGE FOR DETAILED ANSWERS TO BE PROVIDED TO ALL THE POINTS RAISED.

HE ADDED IT WAS VERY HELPFUL+ THAT MEMBERS' CONCERN SHOULD BE CLEARLY ON THE RECORD AND THAT HE WAS SURE THEY WOULD BE NOTED.

BUT HE ALSO POINTED TO THE FOLLOWING TWO POINTS: THAT THE MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC ORDER OF THE SAR WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF ITS GOVERNMENT AND THAT MILITARY FORCES STATIONED HERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF DEFENCE WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN ITS INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

+THESE ARE VERY CLEAR AND SPECIFIC STATEMENTS AND SHOULD HELP TO MEET THE CONCERNS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED, BOTH IN THIS CHAMBER AND OUTSIDE IT, HE SAID.

HAVING REGARD TO ALL THAT HAD BEEN SAID IN THE DEBATE EARLIER THIS WEEK AND BY OFFICIAL MEMBERS TODAY, SIR PHILIP SAID IT WAS HIS VIEW THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IS NOT ONLY THE BEST THAT COULD BE NEGOTIATED, BUT IT IS A GOOD AGREEMENT.+

+YET, IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS, THE FACT THAT A GOOD AGREEMENT HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED NOTWITHSTANDING, THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG CANNOT BE ACHIEVED BY THE TWO GOVERNMENTS

OF BRITAIN

AND CHINA

-

BY DECREE.

+ THE FUTURE