XN000022-1994-10-31 — Page 6

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1994.

"WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK HARD, VERY, VERY HARD, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAPPENS.

AND

THAT'S WHY THE DESIRE FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN CHINA ON THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES OF THE TRANSITION RUNS SO DEEP IN THE COMMUNITY, MRS CHAN SAID.

"THEY WANT BOTH SIDES TO GET ON WITH IT, TO COME UP WITH ANSWERS TO THE PROBLEMS WE NEED TO RESOLVE BETWEEN NOW AND 1997."

"I BELIEVE THE PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD BY THE GOVERNOR IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS OFFER A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS.

"I'M SURE THE COMMUNITY WOULD WELCOME A POSITIVE RESPONSE ΤΟ THEM, AS THEY WOULD ANY NEW IDEAS OR PROPOSALS WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE ITSELF MIGHT PUT FORWARD."

SHE SAID: "IT ALSO MEANS HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY GOING TO HAVE TO ASSERT THEMSELVES AS A COMMUNITY AND SAY CLEARLY WHAT THEY THINK AUTONOMY MEANS.

"MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY MUST MAKE IT CLEAR WHEN THEY SEE THAT AUTONOMY THREATENED OR COMPROMISED.

MRS CHAN SAID SHE HAD NEVER KNOWN THE PUBLIC OR THE MEDIA TO BE SHY ABOUT OFFERING ADVICE AND CRITICISM TO THE GOVERNMENT.

THEY MUST BE AS FRANK WITH THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE TERRITORY AS THEY HAVE BEEN WITH THE CURRENT SOVEREIGN, SHE SAID.

SHE SAID AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST WAS SURELY THE AUTONOMY GUARANTEED TO HONG KONG BY THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW, ADDING THAT IT WAS WHAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE WAS ALL ABOUT.

SHE ADDED THAT FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO WOULD BE LIVING HERE AFTER 1997, THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW WERE THEIR GUARANTEE OF HONG KONG'S CONTINUING LIFESTYLE AFTER 1997, AND THAT THEY HAD CRITICAL STAKE IN THEIR FULL AND FAITHFUL IMPLEMENTATION.

BUT MRS CHAN MADE IT CLEAR THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE COULD NOT AFFORD TO BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHICH PARTS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW THEY WANTED TO SEE IMPLEMENTED.

"THEY MUST BE TAKEN AND IMPLEMENTED WHOLE.

"WE CAN'T SETTLE FOR AN EASY LIFE BY TURNING A BLIND EYE WHEN ONE OR OTHER ISSUE MAKES THE GOING ROUGH.

"ONCE WE START SAYING THAT CERTAIN PARTS OF THEM CAN BE IGNORED OR DISREGARDED, WE ARE IN DANGER OF PULLING APART THE WHOLE EDIFICE.

MRS CHAN HOPED THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD MAKE ITSELF HEARD IN CALM, REASONABLE AND BALANCED MANNER.

A

/SHE SAID