XN000022-1994-07-01 — Page 4

3

-

FRIDAY, JULY 1, 1994

PERHAPS, I CAN JUST TURN MY ATTENTION, FOR A MOMENT IN CASE YOU WANT ME TO DO SO, TO THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO THE FAC REPORT, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE REPORT. WE WERE, OF

COURSE, CLOSELY CONSULTED ABOUT THE OBSERVATIONS WHICH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS MADE ON THE HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMITTER'S REPORT. THERE ARE FOUR AREAS WHICH ARE OF PARTICULARLY INTEREST, THINK, TO ALL OF US

]

HERE IN HONG KONG. FIRST OF ALL, THERE IS THE ENDORSEMENT OF OUR PROPOSALS FOR ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS HERE IN HONG KONG. WE'VE NOW VOTED ON THE LAST PIECE OF LEGISLATION. THE FIRST WAS THE ONE THAT SET UP THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION. THE SECOND DEALT, AS YOU KNOW EARLY THIS YEAR, PRINCIPALLY, THOUGH NOT SOLELY, WITH DISTRICT AND MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS AND WITH VOTING AGE AND THE VOTING SYSTEM, FOR GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES. NOW WE'VE DEALT WITH THE REMAINING MATTERS THIS WEEK. IT WAS A VIGOROUS DEBATE WHICH KEPT MOST OF US UP MOST OF THE NIGHT. BUT THAT IS BEHIND US NOW. I THINK WE NEED TO DRAW A LINE ON THE PAGE AND AS I HAVE SAID BEFORE, TO MOVE ON TO DEAL WITH ALL THE OTHER ISSUES ON HONG KONG'S AGENDA. THIS WEEK WAS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR KONG BUT WE'VE GOT OTHER MATTERS TO TURN OUR ATTENTION TO WHICH IMPORTANCE FOR HONO KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN THE YEARS AHEAD.

SECONDLY,

HONG

HAVE

THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE'S REPORT CALLED ON US AND OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES TO STEP UP THE PACE OF WORK IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. WE VERY MUCH SHARE THAT VIEW. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL FOR US то DO IN THE NEXT THOUSAND OR SO DAYS BEFORE THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY. WE th HAVE MORE WORK ON ISSUES LIKE THE LOCALISATION AND ADAPTATION OF LAWS, ON AGREEMENT ON THE GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. BUT, I AM SURE, WE ARE ALL DELIGHTED THIS WERK THAT AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF NEGOTIATION, WE REACHED AGREEMENT ON THE DAY AFTER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VOTED ON THE ELECTORAL PROVISIONS BILL, ON DEFENCE LANDS. I THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD DEAL FOR HONG KONG, IT'S THE RESULT OF A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF EFFORTS AND GOODWILL BY THE NEGOTIATORS ON BOTH SIDES AND I HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL SHARE THAT VIEW WHEN THEY DISCUSS THE MATTER OVER THE COMING DAYS.

SAID,

THIRDLY, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS SET OUT ITS VIEWS ON MATTERS OF CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY AND, THERE IT HAS TO BE WE HAVEN'T AGREED WITH WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS SAID. LIKE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WE'VE BEEN PRESSING FOR FULL CITIZENSHIP FOR THE WIVES AND WIDOWS OF EX-SERVICEMEN AND THOUGH I WELCOME THE MOVE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED ON THAT ISSUF EARLIER THIS MONTH FROM THE EXTRA REASSURANCE THEY ARE PROVIDING, WE WOULD HAVE LIKED THEM TO HAVE GONE FURTHER. EQUALLY, WE'VE PRESSED THEM AND WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR FULL CITIZENSHIP FOR THE FTHNIC MINORITIES. IT'S OBVIOUSLY AN ISSUE WHICH IS PICKING UP MUCH GREATER SUPPORT AT WESTMINSTER, NOT ONLY IN THE HOUSE OF LORUS BUT IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AS WELL. AND WE WILL BE DOING OUR BIT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DEBATE AT WESTMINSTER ON THIS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT MATTER IS PROPERLY INFORMED. PEOPLE SHOULD BE IN NO DOUBT AT ALI. WHAT THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S NOVED A LITTLE WAY IN GIVING REASSURANCE TO THE ETHNIC MINORITIES BUT, IN OUR JUDGMENT, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IF THEY'D BEEN ABLE TO GO AS FAR AS THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ACTUALLY SUGGESTED.

/THE OTHER