XN000022-1987-12-13 — Page 19

ON

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1987

THE FUTURE. THE

IMPACT

ITS

YEAR

CAN BE

THERE ARE OF COURSE REAL WORRIES ABOUT 1997 WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE, HOWEVER, MUCH MINIMISED BY BENSIBLE POLICIES AND GOOD CO-OPERATION AMONG ALL

CURRENTLY IT IS THE POLITICAL RATHER THAN THE CONCERNED.

ECONOMIC FUTURE THAT ATTRACTS THE MOST ATTENTION. HONG KONG PROPLE ARE WATCHING WHICH WILL GIVE EFFECT CLOSELY AS THE CHINESE DRAFT THE BASIC LAW,

THE CHINESE UNDER

CONSTITUTION ΤΟ THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. A NUMBER OF HONG KONG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING COMMITTEE. THERE HAS BEEN MUCH PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT SHOULD

IN THE INCLUDED

CHAPTER THAT WILL DEAL

THE WITH

STRUCTURE GOVERNMENT MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN THE FUTURE SAR.

POLITICAL SYSTEM CONDUCTING A REVIEW OF THE PRESENT

IN HONG KONG,

DEBATE MUCH OF THAT

HAS WHICH HAS ALSO GIVEN RISE TO LIVELY DEBATE. THE QUESTION OF CENTERED ON

HOW THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD EVENTUALLY BE COMPOSED; IT CURRENTLY COMPRISES OFFICIAL, APPOINTED AND INDIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS. THE JOINT DECLARATION STIPULATES THAT, WHEN THE SAR IS ESTABLISHED IN 1997, ALL MEMBERS BUT DOES NOT SPECIFY THE METHOD OF ELECTION,

SHOULD BE

BE

OF

IS

ELECTED,

SYSTEM

BE ALLOWED TO THE CURRENT DEBATE ON THESE MATTERS SHOULD NOT

A STRONG CONSENSUS IN CONCEAL THE FACT THAT THERE IS IN HONG KONG

NO ONE FAVOUR OF MAKING THE "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" CONCEPT WORK.

HONG KONG IS ADVOCATING INDEPENDENCE, AND IT IS WIDELY ACCEPTED THAT

ITS OWN SPECIAL NREDS MUST HAVE A SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT WHICH SUITS

FROM

THE ELSEWHERE. RATHER THAN SIMPLY COPY SOME MODEL

OF GOVERNMENT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD BY AND HAVE CREDIBILITY WITH THE PEOPLE.

SERVED HONG IT NEEDS TO EVOLVE FROM THE EXISTING SYSTEMS, WHICH HAVE

IN A KONG WELL AND WHICH OPERATE

FASHION MORE RESPONSIVE TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION PUBLIC THAN THE FORMAL

MIGHT SUGGEST. THE CHALLENGE WE FACE IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, AND THE CHINESE FACE IN

DEVELOP THE DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW, IS TO

то SYSTEM

MEET JOINT CHANGING NEEDS AND ASPIRATIONS AS WELL AS THE PROVISIONS OF THE DECLARATION

MAINTAINING WHILE

OF EFFECTIVENESS

ADMINISTRATION PLUS

BOTH STABILITY AND CONTINUITY OF POLICIES.

THIS COMMON GOAL. NO PROCESSES MUST WORK TOWARDS

ONE'S INTERESTS AND FOR WILL BE SERVED IF THE BABY IS THROWN OUT WITH THE BATHWATER, THAT REASON, I AM SURE THAT THE CHALLENGE WILL BE MET.

PRESENT

EFFICIENCY AND

WE ARE THEREFORE LIVING

THROUGH

INTERESTING AND

SUCH

CHALLENGING

IT TIMES.

CHALLENGES.

HAS A BUT HONG KONG IS NO STRANGER TO

OVER THE LAST CLEARER IDEA OF ITS LONG-TERM FUTURE THAN AT ANY TIME

STRONG IT IS FACING THE CHALLENGE IN GOOD SHAPE, WITH A FIFTY YEARS. ECONOMY GROWING AT A RATE OF 9 PER CENT, AND WITH FULL EMPLOYMENT

MAINTAINING AND A FIRM COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF CHINA AND BRITAIN TO

THE NOWHERE ELSE IN

WORLD ITS STATUS AS A GREAT INTERNATIONAL CITY.

THAT IS THERE A DOCUMENT

GUARANTEES THAT THE

OF ESSENTIALS

THE UNTIL 2047. PRESENT ECONOMIC SYSTEM AND WAY OF LIFE WILL BE RETAINED

ECONOMY AND DYNAMIC THERE IS PLENTY OF TIME FOR HONG KONG'S BUOYANT

WHO SOCIETY TO CONTINUE TO GROW: IT IS FIRMLY IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL HAVE A STAKE HERE THAT THEY SHOULD.