XN000022-1985-10-31 — Page 27

QUESTION:

12

MY IMPRESSION FROM THE LAST FEW DAYS IS THAT EVERYONE IS GOING TO MAKE THE IR VIEWS KNOWN WITHOUT ANY HESITATION AT ALL! BECAUSE I THINK EVERYONE IN HONG KONG IS AT HEART A POLITICIAN.

DO YOU MEAN THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL NOT TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL REFORM?

MPR RENTON: I CERTAINLY DON'T THINK IT IS UP TO US TO COME DOWN

FIRMLY ON ONE SIDE AND SAY THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, THE PACE OF PROGRESS TOWARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, MORE ÉLECTED REPRESENTATION SHOULD BE HURRIED UP. ́I REALLY DON'T THINK THAT IS OUR ROLE AT ALL. I WOULD BE LOOKING ALL THE TIME AT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND AT THE STEADY DEVELOPMENT OF THE STEP BY STEP APPROACH THAT WAS SO STRONGLY MENTIONED IN THE SPEECHES IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL YESTERDAY. I THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO GO.

QUESTION:

FUNG TAK HUNG FOR ATV: THE BASIC LAW WILL BE PUBLISHED IN THE 1990S AS THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS SAID AND WE WILL HAVE THE REVIEW OF THE POLITICAL SYSTEM BY 1987 WHICH WILL DEFINE THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM. HOW CAN WE GUARANTEE THAT THESE TWO WILL NOT BE - WILL NOT HAVE SERIOUS DISAGREEMENT?

MR RENTON: WELL, TWO POINTS THERE ARE THERE. OF COURSE, FIRST THAT THE CHINESE ARE, AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW BUT ON THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A FAIRLY STRONG REPRESENTATION FROM HONG KONG, QUITE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND OF COURSE THERE IS THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE WILL BE OPERATING HERE IN HONG KONG NUMBER ING 150, SOMETHING OF THAT ORDER, WHICH AGAIN PRESUMABLY WILL REFLECT A LOT OF VIEWS FROM THE VARIED SECTIONS OF OPINION IN HONG KONG BACK TO PEKING ABOUT THE BASIC LAW AND ITS DRAFTING. SO THINK YOU HAVE GOT TWO POINTS OF VERY STRONG AND CONTINUING CONTACT THERE.

MR ROBERTS: WELL, I AM SORRY WE HAVE NOT GOT TIME FOR ANY MORE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED FOR COMING.

MR RENTON: WELL, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH INDEED. I AM AFRAID THAT

I NOW HAVE TO CATCH AN AEROPLANE AND GO TO SINGAPORE.

I MUCH APPRECIATED YOUR COMING THIS MORNING. I THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTIONS AND I HOPE THAT WE SHALL MEET AGAIN SOME TIME SOON. THANK YOU.

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