XN000022-1990-04-04 — Page 49

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990

47

COUNCILLOR DESCRIBES MEMBER'S MOTION AS "ANAEMIC"

*

HON JIMMY MCGREGOR TODAY (WEDNESDAY) DESCRIBED HO: MARTIN LER'S MOTION ON THE BASIC LAW AS "ANAEMIC".

"MR LEE, WHOM I GREATLY RESPECT, HAS CHOSEN A STRANGELY TO UNTYPICAL APPROACH, A QUIET, RESERVED AND ALMOST DESPAIRING APPEAL THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO LISTEN TO THE FRAGMENTED VOICE OF THIS COUNCIL," MR MCGREGOR SAID.

"WHY SHOULD THEY, MR LEE? THEY HAVE NOT LISTENED BEFORE OR, THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE NOT HEARD WHAT WE WERE SAYING."

IF

MR MCGREGOR SAID HONG KONG WAS NOW IN A SITUATION WHERE CHINA, WITH BRITAIN APPARENTLY IN AGREEMENT, HAD DETERMINED THE PACE OF

IN FURTHER CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM

HONG KONG AND SET THIS OUT IN

CONSIDERABLE DETAIL IN THE BASIC LAW.

HE SAID HE COULD NOT IMAGINE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD DO ANYTHING MORE TO BRING ABOUT MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN THE BASIC LAW.

NOR WOULD BRITAIN MODIFY ITS OWN POSITION IN THE YEARS UNTIL 1997 UNLESS THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE POLICIES OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, HE ADDED.

"IT SO HAPPENS THAT I BELIEVE STRONGLY THAT SUCH CHANGES WILL IN COME ABOUT AND THAT WE SHALL SEE A MORE LIBERAL CHINESE GOVERNMENT THE YEARS AHEAD, LESS SENSITIVE

MUCH LESS WORRIED ABOUT HONG KONG," HE SAID.

AND

SO HE THOUGHT THERE WAS MERIT IN SUPPORTING MR MARTIN LEE'S MOTION, HE CONCLUDED.

CHINA SHOULD KEEP JOINT DECLARATION PROMISE

CHINA SHOULD BE PRESSED TO KEEP RELIGIOUSLY ΤΟ THEIR PROMISE AS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND ALLOW HONG KONG AN EVEN HIGHER DEGREE OF AUTONOMY, THE HON JAMES TIEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE HON MARTIN LEE'S MOTION ON THE BASIC LAW, MR TIEN SAID THAT HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT A RADICAL OVERTURNING OF THE POLITICAL STRUCTURE WHICH DISTURBED THE BALANCE OF POWER BETWEEN FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND DIRECT ELECTIONS WOULD SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE.

/HE SAID