TNAG-1399-FCO40-1871-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Basic-Law-1985 — Page 17

Date

Statements by Chinese

Officials

BASIC LAW (42)

Newspaper Comments/Editorials Non-Communist

Communist

3.4.85 (cont'd)

4.4.85

NPC spokesman Zeng Tao: The list of Basic Law drafting committee members will not be announced in the near future because it has to be decided by the NPC Standing Committee. In selecting HK

representatives to the

people with no political leaning if the Basic Law is to be fully applicable to HK. The powers of interpreting the Basic Law should rest with HK's legislature and not with the NPC.

Express: The credibility of the Basic Law depends more on whether China will stick to it than on its contents and the ways in which it is drawn up. Therefore, it is unrealistic to pin high hope that the Basic Law by itself will give full protection to HK people's existing interests.

Law should rest with HK people. "HK people ruling HK" does not mean that HK will become independent.

Statements/Comments

by others

*

(report) Lawyer Dorothy Liu: The Basic Law should be regarded as part of China's law and also part of the HK SAR law. As the

Joint Declaration stipulates that judicial independence would be maintained, the HK SAR should have the power to