XN000022-1992-10-28 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1992

CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE IS NOT TO CONFRONT CHINA: CS

* *

THE

NO PART OF THE GOVERNMENT'S STRATEGY IN FORMULATING CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE IS TO STIR UP CONFRONTATION WITH

CHINA, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, SAID.

INDEED, THE PRINCIPLES AND COURSE THE GOVERNMENT HAS ADOPTED

QUITE DELIBERATELY AIMS TO AVOID SUCH CONFRONTATION.

THIS WAS STATED BY SIR DAVID WHEN WINDING UP THE RESUMED DEBATE

IN ADDRESS ON THE MOTION OF THANKS FOR THE GOVERNOR'S POLICY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"HAD WE BEEN BENT ON SUCH A CONFRONTATIONAL COURSE WE MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THE ADVICE OF SOME PEOPLE HERE AND ELSEWHERE AND FORGED AHEAD WITH PROPOSALS WHICH BROUGHT ABOUT A GREATER DEGREE OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG ON THE ONE HAND BUT WERE CONTRARY TO THE BASIC LAW ON THE OTHER, HE SAID.

I

"WE DID NOT PURSUE SUCH A COURSE, HE SAID.

SIR THEY

COULD

DAVID STRESSED THAT THE PROPOSALS WERE DESIGNED TO ENSURE

AND FELL CLEARLY WITHIN THE TERMS OF THE BASIC LAW PROVIDE CONTINUITY THROUGH 1997.

THAT

**A

THE CHIEF SECRETARY ALSO SAID THESE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS WERE NOT AS HAD BEEN DESCRIBED BY SOME PEOPLE A BLUEPRINT FOR GLORIOUS BRITISH WITHDRAWAL FROM HONG KONG".

THEY WERE NOT DESIGNED TO "FURTHER THE POLITICAL CAREER OF

GOVERNOR".

THEY HAD ALSO NOT BEEN "DRAWN UP BY THE ENSURE CONTINUING BRITISH INFLUENCE AFTER 1997".

THE

BRITISH CABINET

ΤΟ

CHEAP

"SUCH SUGGESTIONS ARE NOT ONLY ABSURD BUT THEY SEEK IN RATHER A

TO POLITICAL WAY

OF DENIGRATE THE MOTIVES

AN STRAIGHTFORWARD GOVERNOR WHOSE SOLE INTEREST, AS HE HAS IS TO DO HIS VERY BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG,

HONEST AND MADE CLEAR, SIR DAVID SAID.

ON THE FORMULATION OF THESE CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSALS, SIR DAVID WHICH SAID THEY REFLECTED THE RESULTS OF MANY HOURS OF CONSULTATION THE GOVERNOR HELD WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE TERRITORY.

י

"THEY TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE WISHES AND ASPIRATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM ORGANISATIONS DIFFERENT SECTORS OF THIS COMMUNITY AND FROM PEOPLE AND

OF HOLDING COUNCIL.'

VIEWPOINTS, INCLUDING OF COURSE, MEMBERS DIFFERENT

THIS

THESE PROPOSALS ALSO REPRESENT THE COLLECTIVE WISDOM ADMINISTRATION, HE SAID,

OF THIS

**THEY

REACHED WERE

GOVERNMENT THIS

AFTER MANY HOURS OF DISCUSSION

MEMBERS OVER MANY WEEKS, ALL OF THEM INVOLVING SENIOR ADMINISTRATION INCLUDING LOCAL SENIOR OFFICERS WHOSE LONG-TERM FUTURE LIES IN HONG KONG,

IN

THE

OF

/"THEY REPRESENT