XN000022-1994-04-14 — Page 4

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1994

OF COURSE, AUTONOMY IS NOT, IN ITSELF, A NEW IDEA. NOT FOR HONG KONG, BECAUSE AS A PREVIOUS SPEAKER HAS POINTED OUT, HONG KONG UNDER BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY HAS LONG ENJOYED A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY. WE HAVE NEVER, IN THE MODERN ERA, BEEN TOLD FROM LONDON HOW TO RUN OUR ECONOMY, WHAT KIND OF LIFE WE SHOULD LEAD, OR HOW TO HOUSE AND EDUCATE OURSELVES. SOME MIGHT EVEN ARGUE THAT THE UNITED KINGDOM HAD A

OR

THING

AND IN

TWO TO LEARN ITSELF FROM THE WAY WE DO SOME OF THOSE THINGS. HONG KONG HAS, FOR YEARS, PARTICIPATED FULLY AND AUTONOMOUSLY INTERNATIONAL TRADE. IT IS A VALUED INDEPENDENT CONTRACTING PARTY TO THE GATT.

IT IS WELL RESPECTED IN MANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANISATIONS. SO THERE IS NOTHING STRANGE ABOUT DOING THINGS OUR WAY AND IN OUR OWN RIGHT.

NOR IS AUTONOMY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS UNDER THE SAME FLAG PARTICULARLY UNUSUAL ELSEWHERE. DESPITE THE WAIL OF BAGPIPES WHICH OCCASIONALLY WAFTS SOUTH ACROSS HADRIAN'S WALL, SCOTLAND'S AUTONOMOUS LEGAL AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS HAVE MADE THE UNITED KINGDOM MORE NOT LESS STABLE, BETTER ABLE TO BUILD A SOCIETY WHICH IS MORE THAN THE SUM OF ITS COMPONENT CULTURES AND TRADITIONS. THE UNITED STATES, GERMANY AND SWITZERLAND HAVE DRAWN STRENGTH, UNITY AND NATIONAL PRIDE FROM THE DELIBERATE NURTURING OF REGIONAL AUTONOMY. AND IN MANY PLACES, IN TIDE EUROPE FOR EXAMPLE, INCLUDING THE UNITED KINGDOM, THERE IS A NEW CARRYING THE MAKING OF DECISIONS AWAY FROM BUREAUCRATS IN CAPITALS, AND TOWARDS THE PEOPLE IN THE REGIONS WHO HAVE TO LIVE WITH THOSE DECISIONS. AS SOCIETIES BECOME MORE MODERN, MORE COMPLEX, THAT KIND OF SENSITIVITY TO LOCAL CIRCUMSTANCES MAKES MORE AND MORE SENSE. AUTONOMY IS NOT A THREAT TO ANYONE'S SOVEREIGNTY BUT A VITALITY.

SOURCE

SO OF

OUR

THERE IS IN THIS AN IMPORTANT LESSON FOR HONG KONG. A LESSON WHICH IS NOT ALWAYS WELL-UNDERSTOOD. HONG KONG E AUTONOMY IS NOT SOMETHING

CLOTHES NEW AND MYSTERIOUS, TO BE HANDED OVER IN SWADDLING AT MIDNIGHT ON 30 JUNE 1997. IT IS, AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN, PART OF LIVES. WE WEAR IT WITH CONFIDENCE AND WE OWE MUCH OF OUR SUCCESS IT. INDEED, WE TAKE IT FOR GRANTED THAT MOST OF THE DECISIONS SHAPE THE LIVELIHOOD OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE TAKEN BY HONG PEOPLE, FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE, AFTER OPEN DEBATE IN HONG KONG.

ΤΟ

WHICH KONG

THEMSELVES

OF COURSE, THERE ARE SOME AREAS WHICH HAVE BEEN AND WILL ALWAYS BE

IN THOSE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SOVEREIGN POWER.

AREAS,

ΤΟ EXPRESS KONG PEOPLE ENJOY, AND WILL CONTINUE TO ENJOY, THE RIGHT

AND JUST FRANKLY BUT NOT THE RIGHT OF FINAL DECISION. WE MUST BE CONFIDENT ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DECIDE ON OUR OWN, 30 MUST

LIVES, SOVEREIGN POWER. AUTONOMY MEANS THAT WE CAN RUN OUR OWN EQUALLY IT DICTATES THAT WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO RUN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.

HONG

AS

THE

BUT

-

A

HONG KONG OF SO WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THOSE SOVEREIGN POWERS THE SIGNATORIES OF THE JOINT DECLARATION - MERE 1,173 DAYS FROM 1 JULY 1997? FIRST LET ME CLEAR UP ONCE AND ALL TWO MISCONCEPTIONS.

—

FOR

TO FIRST, THERE IS SOMETIMES A TENDENCY IT HAS BEEN ALLUDED

SEE HERE BY A PREVIOUS DISTINGUISHED LECTURER WHOM I AM PLEASED TO

CHINA THIS EVENING THERE IS SOMETIMES A TENDENCY TO SEE BRITAIN AND AS JEALOUS AND UNCARING PARENTS SQUABBLING OVER HONG KONG, IN THE ROLE OF THE INNOCENT AND INJURED CHILD. WHILE IT IS SOMETIMES ALL TOO TEMPTING TO SEE ONESELF AS THE VICTIM OF FORCES BEYOND ONE'S CONTROL.

ANY MORE I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS IS A HELPFUL OR REALISTIC METAPHOR SO THAN THAT OF THE OFT-QUOTED, OFT-KICKED, THREE-LEGGED STOOL.

-

/IT IS