TNAG-1744-FCO40-2463-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong--including-visit-by-Lor-1988 — Page 123

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MDHIAN 2916

JOINT DECLARATION AND THE DRAFT BASIC LAW:

(B) WHETHER THE UK GOVERNMENT WAS ACTIVELY STUDYING THE DRAFT BASIC

LAW:

(C) WHETHER THE UK GOVERNMENT WOULD REFLECT TO THE CHINESE GOVERNM- ENT THE VIEWS TO BE MADE BY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS DURING THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE DRAFT BASIC LAW SCHEDULED TO BE HELD ON 13

AND 14 JULY: AND

(D) WHETHER THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WOULD ADVISE OMELCO MEMBERS WHEN DRAFT BASIC LAW ARTICLES WERE FOUND INCONSISTENT WITH THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION.

18. THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WAS CURRENTLY STUDYING THE DRAFT BASIC LAW. HE BELIEVED THAT CHINA WOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL THE VIEWS EXPRESSED DURING THE CONSULTATION PERIOD. HE SAID THAT THE UK GOVERNMENT WOULD REFLECT THE VIEWS OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THE DOCUMENT TO THE

CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

19. MR DESMOND LEE YU-TAI ENQUIRED WHETHER THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION WOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMENATION OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION AFTER 1997 BECAUSE SOME OF THE TERMS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION WOULD NOT BE REALIZED UNTIL MANY YEARS AFTER 1997. IN REPLY, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT

DECLARATION.

20 MR MARTIN LEE ASKED WHETHER THE SECRETARY OF STATE BELIEVED THE FIRST DRAFT BASIC LAW COULD BRING ABOUT A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG KONG AFTER 1997. IN RESPONSE, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID THAT A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY HAD BEEN GUARANTEED BY THE SINO-BRIT- ISH JOINT DECLARATION AND THE NEXT STEP WOULD BE FOR THIS TO BE TRANSLATED INTO THE BASIC LAW. A GREAT DEAL OF WORK HAD BEEN PUT INTO THE FIRST DRAFT. THE WORK WAS, HOWEVER, NOT COMPLETED AND SOME AREAS WOULD HAVE TO BE EXAMINED FURTHER. HE BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS THE WHOLE POINT OF CONDUCTING A FIVE-MONTH CONSULTATION.

21. MR SZETO WAH SAID THAT THE BASIC LAW CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE HAD INDICATED THAT IT ONLY RECOGNIZED THE VIEWS OF MEMBERS OF THE TWO MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND DISTRICT BOARDS MADE IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY. HE FELT THIS WAS DISAPPOINTING AND HOPED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD REFLECT THE OVERALL VIEWS OF THESE BODIES TO THE

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