XN000022-1991-11-06 — Page 9

I

7

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 1991

"HONG

ENTIRELY NATURAL IT IS KONG IS A PLURALISTIC SOCIETY.

EXPRESS THEIR OWN THAT DIFFERENT PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS, AND

HOW TO VIEWS FORCEFULLY, ON SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT TO OUR FUTURE AS MANAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWER,

MR. SZE SAID HE HAD NOTICED THAT A BROAD CONSENSUS, RELATIONSHIP MUST BE BASED ON MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING AND GROUNDED ON THE PROVISIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

RECENT

|| HE SAID.

NAMELY THAT COOPERATION,

JOHN MAJOR'S MEMORANDUM

OF THAT AND

HE ALSO POINTED OUT THAT THE PRIME MINISTER, MR

VISIT

OF TO CHINA, AND

THE THE SIGNING

OF POINTS ON THE UNDERSTANDING

AIRPORT, UNDERSCORES THE KEY RELATIONSHIP : INTENSIFICATION OF COOPERATION AND CONSULTATION, REAFFIRMATION OF THE DETERMINATION TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT DECLARATION, IN LETTER AND SPIRIT.

"SURELY,

NO LASTING

RELATIONSHIP CAN BE

FOUNDED

ON MUTUAL

CAN TO

SUSPICION AND MISTRUST; IF THEY EXIST THEN WE MUST DO ALL WE BREAK THEM DOWN. WE MUST TAKE CARE TO EXPLAIN OUR VIEWS TACTFULLY BUT

THE OTHER FIRMLY; AT

SAME TIME WE MUST LISTEN TO THE UNDERSTANDING

THE STAKES ARE TOO HIGH FOR AND PATIENCE. OTHERWISE, HE SAID.

SIDE WITH US TO

DO

KEY

THE SECRETARY NOTED THAT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP PLAYED A ROLE IN THE TERRITORY'S CONSULTATION WITH CHINA ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

"YET

IN THE

I FEAR THAT ITS ROLE IS SOMETIMES MISUNDERSTOOD. WORDS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, IT IS AN "ORGAN FOR LIAISON AND NOT AN HONG ORGAN OF POWER. IT SHALL PLAY NO PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF KONG OR THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. NOR SHALL IT HAVE THERE IS NO QUESTION ANY SUPERVISORY ROLE OVER THAT ADMINISTRATION.

GOVERNMENT" : THE OF THE JLG BECOMING A "SINO-BRITISH CONDOMINIUM

HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG IS FIRMLY IN THE HANDS OF THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.

THAT BRITAIN AND IN THE JOINT

MR SZE SAID IT HAD SOMETIMES BEEN ALLEGED CHINA HAD CONCLUDED AGREEMENTS ON HONG KONG'S FUTURE LIAISON GROUP BEHIND OUR BACKS.

HONG KONG

HAS A

DIRECT LINE TO

"THIS IS BLATANTLY UNTRUE. THESE CONSULTATIONS BOTH THROUGH ITS HONG KONG MEMBERSHIP IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. AND THROUGH THE COUNCIL IS FULLY CONSULTED ON THE PREPARATION OF THE OBJECTIVE AND AT EVERY STAGE OF THE DISCUSSIONS,

THE EXECUTIVE BRITISH SIDE'S

HE SAID.

HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNOR'S RECENT APPOINTMENTS TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE SEEN IN THIS CONTEXT.

THE

ANXIOUS ΤΟ

"IN MAKING HIS NEW APPOINTMENTS THE GOVERNOR WAS STRENGTHEN THE LINKS BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS. ALL WILL PLAY ALL OF HIS NEW APPOINTEES ARE MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL. THEIR PART IN REPRESENTING THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ON

** HE SAID. ISSUES AFFECTING HONG KONG'S FUTURE,

VITAL