XN000022-1986-11-20 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1986

HE SAID THAT THE OBJECTIVE WAS BEING ASSURED BY THE PROGRESS MADE THROUGH JOINT LIAISON BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THE AGREEMENT IN THE 18 MONTHS SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS REGISTERED IN THE UNITED NATIONS.

+THE DECISION MADE THIS APRIL THAT HONG KONG SHOULD BECOME THE 91ST CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE GATT IS A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE OF THE AUTONOMY WHICH HONG KONG WILL ENJOY AFTER 1997,+ SIR DAY ID POINTED OUT.

AMONG OTHER MATTERS, DISCUSSION HAD ALSO BEGUN WITH CHINA AND RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS TO SECURE THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS CONCERNING HONG KONG.

FURTHERMORE, PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE ON ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT SHIPPING REGISTER, AND LAND WAS NOW SOLD WITH LEASES WHICH RUN UNTIL THE YEAR 2047.

+THESE ARE SOLID ACHIEVEMENTS MADE POSSIBLE IN THE SHORT TIME SINCE THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS SIGNED BY THE GOODWILL AND CO-OPERATION OF THE BRITISH AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WHICH UNDERLINES THE SPIRIT OF THE AGREEMENT, SIR DAVID STRESSED.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY ALSO MENTIONED THE GOVERNMENT'S REVIEW NEXT YEAR ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

HE SAID THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH HONG KONG WOULD BE GOVERNED AFTER 1997 CALLED FOR AN IMAGINATIVE APPROACH TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS FUTURE STRUCTURE.

THE BELGIUM-HONG KONG SOCIETY HAS BEEN FORMED TO PROMOTE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL LINKS. MORE THAN 70 REPRESENTATIVES OF BELGIAN BANKS AND COMPANIES WHICH HAVE LINKS WITH HONG KONG ATTENDED TODAY'S LUNCH, HOSTED BY HONG KONG'S MINISTER FOR COMMERCIAL RELATIONS WITH THE EEC, MR PETER TSAO, WHO IS BASED IN BRUSSELS,

MARITIME LAWS BEING LOCALISED AG *****

THE +LOCALISATION OF MARITIME LAWS HAS ALREADY COMMENCED, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, MR MICHAEL THOMAS, SAID THIS (THURSDAY) EVENING.

SPEAKING AT THE SECOND ANNIVERSARY DINNER OF THE INSTITUTE OF SEA TRANSPORT, MR THOMAS SAID THAT THESE LAWS INCLUDED THE SEAFARER'S BILL AND LEGISLATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE SAFETY OF LIFE AT SEA CONVENTION (SOLAS).

/HOWEVER,

HE