XN000022-1993-05-26 — Page 15

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1993

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MOTION DEBATE ON SINO-BRITISH TALKS

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS, MR MICHAEL SZE, TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THE MOTION DEBATE ON SINO-BRITISH TALKS TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

MR PRESIDENT,

FOR

IN

ON 13 APRIL THIS YEAR, THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH SIDES AGREED THAT THE GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE TWO COUNTRIES SHOULD HOLD TALKS ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION, THE PRINCIPLE OF CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE RELEVANT AGREEMENTS AND UNDERSTANDINGS REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. THREE ROUNDS OF TALKS HAVE SINCE BEEN HELD IN PEKING. THE TWO SIDES HAVE HOLD THE FOURTH ROUND OF TALKS ON 28 AND 29 THIS MONTH.

AGREED TO

IT IS PERFECTLY NATURAL, AND INDEED UNDERSTANDABLE, THAT THE COMMUNITY SHOULD WANT TO BE KEPT INFORMED OF THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS. AS AGREED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, HOWEVER, THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS WILL BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL. THERE ARE SOUND, PRACTICAL REASONS FOR THIS. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THE COMMUNITY, I BELIEVE, IS THAT WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO GIVE THE NEGOTIATIONS A FAIR WIND, AND TO COMPLETE THEM SUCCESSFULLY. ONE OF THE THINGS WE CAN DO IN THIS RESPECT IS TO ENSURE THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS TAKE PLACE CONFIDENTIALLY. IF WE WERE TO REPORT AFTER EACH ROUND OF TALKS ON WHAT EXACTLY HAS BEEN SAID ACROSS THE TABLE, THAT COULD NOT BE HELPFUL AT ALL TO THE NEGOTIATORS. NOR, THEREFORE, COULD IT BE HELPFUL TO THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE TALKS.

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ALTHOUGH THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS ARE CONFIDENTIAL, THE SCOPE AND BASIS FOR THE TALKS ARE ALREADY DEFINED IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON 13 APRIL. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO MADE CLEAR THAT ITS AIM IN THE TALKS IS TO SECURE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WHICH ARE OPEN, FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE ABLE TO EXPRESS VIEWS THROUGH VARIOUS ESTABLISHED CHANNELS ON THE SORT OF ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS THEY WOULD REGARD AS OPEN AND EAIR. INDEED, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY RECEIVED EXTENSIVE VIEWS AND PROPOSALS FROM DIFFERENT POLITICAL GROUPS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC DURING THIS TIME,

INCLUDING THOSE IN THE COMPENDIUM AND ITS SUPPLEMENT PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR. THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO HAD THE BENEFIT OF THE VIEWS OF THIS COUNCIL, AS EXPRESSED IN VARIOUS DEBATES IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS OR 90. SURELY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR PUBLIC OPINION, AND TO LISTEN TO MEMBERS' VIEWS, IN THE WEEKS AHEAD.

/THE STAND