XN000022-1988-08-01 — Page 3

MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 1988

MR WIGGHAM ALSO POINTED OUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HONG KONG'S SEPARATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GENERAL AGREEMENT ON TARIFFS AND TRADE AND OF THE CUSTOMS CO-OPERATION COUNCIL, WHICH WILL BB RETAINED BEYOND 1997.

"AS A RESULT OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALL PARTIES, HONG KONG CAN NOW SPEAK WITH ITS OWN VOICE, DEFENDING ITS OWN INTERESTS, IN THESE INTERNATIONAL WORLD BODIES, HE SAID.

FI

AND

HAD

ON THE CONTINUED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS OBLIGATIONS TO HONG KONG, MR WIGGHAM SAID THE TWO GOVERNMENTS ALREADY REACHED AGREEMENT ON THE TERRITORY'S FUTURE PARTICIPATION IN 14 INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS.

HE NOTED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS AS HONG KONG DEVELOPED A NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD CONTINUE BEYOND 1997 AND WHICH WOULD ENSURE THAT THE TERRITORY WOULD REMAIN AN INTERNATIONAL CENTRE, WITH ITS OWN SEPARATE SYSTEMS.

"

AND SO ALREADY, PROMISES MADE IN THE JOINT DECLARATION ARE BEING FULFILLED, AND IN VERY REAL AND PRACTICAL (NOT TO BAY INTERNATIONAL) WAYS HONG KONG'S HIGH DEGREE OP AUTONOMY 19 BEING ESTABLISHED, HE ANALYSED.

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TURNING TO THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, MR WIGGHAM POINTED OUT THAT MOST OF THE CURRENT DRAFT DID INDEED REFLECT THE PROMISES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION "IN SOME CASES ACTUALLY WORD FOR WORD".

"DRAFTING THE BASIC LAW CANNOT HAVE BEEN AN EASY TASK, SINCE IT INVOLVES TRANSLATING WHAT IS ALREADY A UNIQUE DOCUMENT (THE JOINT DECLARATION) INTO ANOTHER UNIQUE DOCUMENT, DESIGNED TO REFLECT THE UNIQUE SITUATION OF HONG KONG; AND LAST FOR AT LEAST HALF A CENTURY, HE NOTED.

HE SAID IT WAS NOT SURPRISING THAT, BEING A FIRST DRAFT, AND AS THE DRAFTERS HAD THEMSELVES ACKNOWLEDGED, THE VERSION OF THE BASIC LAW NOW UNDER DISCUSSION WAS NOT PERFECT.

NOTING THAT IN SOME AREAS THE JOINT DECLARATION ITSELF MIGHT BE IMPRECISE, MR WIGGHAM SAID THERE WERE GENUINE DRAFTING PROBLEMS IN DEALING WITH TWO VERY DIFFERENT LEGAL SYSTEMS..

HE SAID THE QUESTION COULD BE ASKED WHETHER IN AN ATTEMPT BE COMPREHENSIVE THE DRAFTERS HAD INCLUDED SOME ITEMS WHICH MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO A CONSTITUTIONAL OR LEGAL DOCUMENT.

HE ADDED THAT THERE WERE THOSE AREAS WHERE, ALMOST DEFINITION, THERE WAS ROOM FOR A GENUINE DIFFERENCE OF VIEW.

TO

NOT

BY

THEREFORE, MR