XN000022-1988-07-13 — Page 4

3

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 1988

CHINESE AND

GOVERNMENT SHOULD

POLICIES "ON

MISS DUNN RECALLED THAT IT WAS AGREED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS THAT THE HONG KONG SAR ITS ECONOMIC, TRADE, MONETARY AND FINANCIAL AND DEAL "ON ITS OWN" WITH FINANCIAL MATTERS, INCLUDING ITS FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND DRAWING UP ITS BUDGETS.

DECIDE ITS OWN",

DISPOSING OF

THE DRAFT DRAW UP ITS THE AUTONOMY

SHE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ARTICLES IN CHAPTER V OF BASIC LAW WHICH PRESCRIBE HOW THE SAR GOVERNMENT SHOULD BUDGET AND PRACTISE A LOW TAX POLICY MIGHT UNDERMINE THAT HAD BEEN PROMISED TO IT.

"IT WOULD ALSO SEEM TO BE CONTRARY TO THE JOINT DECLARATION DICTATE POLICY MATTERS IN THIS WAY, SHE ADDED.

SHE HOPED THAT THE BASIC LAW DRAFTERS WOULD LOOK AGAIN LINE TO BE DRAWN BETWEEN THOSE PRINCIPLES WHICH MUST BE PART BASIC LAW IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT SPECIFIC ASSURANCES GIVEN JOINT DECLARATION, AND THOSE MATTERS OF POLICY WHICH SHOULD FOR FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENTS TO DECIDE ON THEIR OWN.

MISS DUNN EXPRESSED THE VIEW THAT THE BASIC LAW SUFFICIENTLY FLEXIBLE TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENTS TO TAKE PLACE NEXT 50 YEARS AS HONG KONG CONTINUED TO GROW AND MATURE.

TO

AT THE

OF

THE

BY

THE

BE LEFT

MUST

BE

OVER

THE

PAST BOTII

IN THE

HONG KONG WAS A DYNAMIC SOCIETY. IT HAD SUCCEEDED IN THE BECAUSE IT HAD ALWAYS BEEN ABLE TO ADAPT QUICKLY то CHANGE, EXTERNAL CHANGES IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE, AND INTERNAL CHANGES DEMANDS OF ITS OWN PEOPLE.

IT HAD DONE THIS BY COMBINING CONSISTENCY OF PRINCIPLE PRAGMATIC DEVELOPMENT OF POLICIES.

WITHI A

"IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL THAT THE BASIC LAW DOES NOT THE EFFECT OF SAPPING HONG KONG'S ENERGIES OR DAMPING SHE SAID.

HAVE

ITS

DYNAMISM,

1+

"NEW TRENDS, NEW CHANGES OF DIRECTION THAT WE WILL HAVE TO BE ACCOMMODATED.

CANNOT

IMAGINE

THE

IT

SHE WARNED THAT THE ATTEMPT TO INCLUDE TOO MANY DETAILS IN BASIC LAW MIGHT "LOCK HONG KONG INTO A RIGID FRAME" THAT PREVENTED FROM RESPONDING TO THE NEED FOR CHANGE IN WAYS THAT COULD NOT BE PREDICTED.

THIS WOULD BE DANGEROUS BECAUSE A SOCIETY THAT COULD CHANGE OR DID NOT CHANGE WAS ONE WHERE THERE WAS NO PROGRESS, WHERE STABILITY WAS ENDANGERED.

NOT

AND

IN CONCLUSION, MISS DUNN SAID THAT THE BASIC LAW DRAFTERS' RESPONSE TO THE MANY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS FROM THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY WOULD BE CRUCIAL AS HONG KONG EXPECTED THE FINAL DRAFT REFLECT THE PEOPLE'S WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS IN A POSITIVE WAY.

TO

"THE BASIC