XN000022-1990-04-04 — Page 45

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990

CALL FOR SINO-BRITISH COOPERATION TO PRESERVE

PROSPERITY AND STABILITY

掌

ITS

BOTH THE

THE SINCERE COOPERATION AND MUTAL UNDERSTANDING OF ISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS WERE NEEDED FOR HONG KONG TO PRESERVE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, THE HON MARTIN LEE SAID TODAY

(WEDNESDAY).

MR LEE WAS SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WHEN MOVING A MOTION ON THE BASIC LAW.

THE MOTION READ: "IN LIGHT OF THE PROMULGATION OF THE HKSAR BASIC LAWY THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS, THIS COUNCIL URGES THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG; TO HELP HONG KONG, THROUGH MUTUAL AND SINCERE CO-OPERATION, TO SURMOUNT ITS PROBLEMS BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER 1997; AND TO AMEND, AT A SUITABLE TIME, THE RELEVANT CLAUSES OF THE BASIC LAW ACCORDING TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE OMELCO COMMENTS ON THE BASIC LAW (DRAFT)' So AS TO FURTHER MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY."

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MR LEE SAID THAT HONG KONG MUST SEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE BASIC POLICIES OF CHINA, AS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, WOULD BE FAJ THFULLY TRANSLATED IN THE BASIC LAW.

HE SAID THAT THE THREE PARAMOUNT OBJECTIVES OF THE BASIC LAW WERE THAT IT MUST REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF AND BF FULLY ACCEPTABLE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE; THAT IT MUST ACCORD WITH THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION; AND THAT IT MUST PROVIDE HONG KONG WITH AN EFFECTIVE AND WORKABLE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT.

ON THE FIRST OBJECTIVE OF ACCEPTANCE BY HONG KONG PEOPLE, MR 1 BE SAID IT WAS HIS BELIEF THAT UNTIL THE BASIC LAW WAS AMENDED SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE LINES SUGGESTED IN THE OMELCO REPORT, IT WOULD NOT BE FULLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,

"IF THE CONSTITUTION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE HERE, TI J AS IS ALREADY HAPPENING NOW, GREAT NUMBERS OF OUR PEOPLE WILL LEAVE, HE SAID.

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ON THE SECOND OBJECTIVE OF FULL ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DELARATION, MR LEE SAID THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DEVIATIONS FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION WHICH WOULD DO GRAVE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG.

FIRST, THE IMPOSITION OF A NEW RESTRICTION THAT HOLDERS OF CERTAIN HIGH POSITIONS IN THE HKSAR COULD NOT HAVE A RIGHT OF ABODE IN ANY FOREIGN COUNTRY, AND THE PUTTING OF A CEILING OF 20 PER CENT ON LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WHO WERE NON-CHINESE NATIONALS OR WITH A RIGHT OF ABODE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES WERE NEW PROVISIONS WHICH WERE NOT CONSISTENT WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION.

SECONDLY, HE

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