2
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1994
THE SECOND KEY DIFFICULTY HAS BEEN OVER THE QUESTION OF APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP TO DISTRICT BOARDS AND MUNICIPAL COUNCILS. THE BRITISH SIDE WANTED TO ABOLISH THE REMAINING APPOINTED MEMBERS. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SAID IT WANTED TO RETAIN THEM. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE SIDE'S PROPOSAL WAS HATCHED WITH CONDITIONS WHICH WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE AUTONOMY OF THE FUTURE SAR AS PROMISED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION.
IT WAS THEREFORE ONLY WHEN IT BECAME ABSOLUTELY CLEAR BY LAST DECEMBER THAT THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS FOR THE MORE IMMEDIATE ISSUES WHEN COULD NOT BE FURTHER DELAYED THAT WE INTRODUCE THE CURRENT BILL. THE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED IN LAST DECEMBER THAT IT WAS GOING AHEAD PREPARED WITH THAT BILL, IT HAD MADE CLEAR THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WERE TO CONTINUE IN A LIMITED TIME REMAINING DISCUSSION WITH THE CHINESE S DE ON THE OUTSTANDING, MORE DIFFICULT ISSUES RELATING TO 95 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS.
IN
ΤΟ THE PAST TWO-AND-A-HALF MONTHS, WE HAD CONTINUED
PRESS THE CASE FOR TALKS TO CONTINUE. REGRETTABLY, THE CHINESE SIDE HAD NOT TAKEN UP THE OFFER. MEANWHILE, THAT LIMITED
HAS REMAINING TIMB CONTINUED TO TICK AWAY. WE HAVE NOW COME TO THE POINT WHERE WE SIMPLY HAVE NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE BUT TO GET ON WITH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. GIVEN THAT ALL ELECTORAL LEGISLATION HAS TO BE ENACTED BY COMING JULY AND THIS IS CRUCIAL IF THERE IS TO BE ADEQUATE TIME TO PREPARE FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS. LEGISLATION ON THE REMAINING MORE COMPLEX ISSUES WILL HAVE TO BE INTRODUCED INTO THIS COUNCIL VERY SOON.
BUY SIDE
MORE
DEFERRAL OF THE CURRENT BILL THEREFORE WILL NOT IN REALITY US ANY MORE TIME. AS POINTED OUT BY MISS EMILY LAU, THE CHINESE HAVE MADE IT KNOWN ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO
IS A TALKS UNLESS WE FIRST WITHDRAW THE CURRENT BILL. SURELY, THIS
WHICH DEMAND
NEITHER THE COMMUNITY NOR THIS COUNCIL WILL FIND
WILL ACCEPTABLE.
IS CLEAR THEREFORE DEFERRAL OF THE BILL
ONLY EXPECTATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND PREPARATIONS FOR THE SERIES OF ELECTIONS IN 1994/95.
RAISE
IT
FALSE
DISRUPT
ALL THE
PEOPLE IN
HONG KONG HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THAT NO AGREEMENT IS BETTER THAN A BAD AGREEMENT. MOST OF US IN THE CIVIL SERVICE ARE PART OF THE 6 MILLION POPULATION WHO HAVE A STAKE IN HONG KONG AND WHO WILL ANY STAY IN HONG KONG. WE WANT AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE BUT NOT AT PRICE.
MRS TU QUOTED THE BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS AS SAYING THAT: "EXPECTING CHINA TO ACCEPT WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS WE PUT IN PLACE IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY." THE POINT HERE, OF COURSE, IS THAT THE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE NOW
BASIC FORWARD ARE ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE LAW AND THE RELEVANT PAST UNDERSTANDINGS AND AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES.
FUT
OF
SOME MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE ON ELECTORAL FRONT WILL AFFECT CO-OPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA OTHER FRONTS. THE ADMINISTRATION FULLY RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANCE CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE FINAL YEARS TRANSITION. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR FIRM BELIEF THAT IF THE TWO ARE TO DISAGREE ON SOMETHING, WHICH IS OF COURSE REGRETTABLE, NO REASON WHY THAT SHOULD AFFECT CO-OPERATION ON OTHER FRONTS.
ON
OF SIDES
THIS IS
THERE
OUR
PART,
A WHOLE RANGE OF PRACTICAL ISSUES WHERE CONTINUED CO-OPERATION IS
IN CLEARLY
THE INTEREST OF CHINA AND HONG KONG. WE, STAND READY TO FURTHER OUR LONG-STANDING CO-OPERATION.
/FOR THE
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