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TO DESKBY 100030Z HONG KONG:
TELNO 670
OF 091645Z MARCH 88
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
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HKB 0402
85
175204
MDHOAN 0544
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
CONSOLIDATED FUND DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
1.
THERE WILL BE A DEBATE ON THE NIGHT OF 10 MARCH ON THE CONSOLIDATED FUND. DR JOHN MAREK MP HAS SUCCEEDED IN PLACING THE FOLLOWING THEME FOR DEBATE QUOTE THE HONG KONG CONSTITUTION AND THE BASIC LAW UNQUOTE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE AND A HALF HOURS ARE ALLOCATED TO THIS QUESTION, AND WE ARE PREPARING A SPEECH FOR
EGGAR TO WIND UP THE DEBATE, TOGETHER WITH DEFENSIVE MODULES.
GIVEN THE SUBJECT WE INTEND TO ADOPT A LOW-KEY
MR
2.
AND UNCONTROVERSIAL LINE IN THE SPEECH. WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING OUTLINE:
HONG KONG CONSTITUTION AND THE BASIC LAW: MR EGGAR'S SPEECH: (A)
BRIEF INTRODUCTORY REMARKS (B)
JOINT DECLARATION: UNIQUE ACHIEVEMENT, RATIFIED BY BOTH SIDES, INTERNATIONALLY BINDING, GIVES HK REALISTIC HOPE OF CONTINUING
STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AFTER 1997. NEW AND UNPRECEDENTED UNDERTAKING FOR BOTH SIDES NEEDS CO-OPERATION AND GOODWILL FROM BOTH SIDES AND PATIENCE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE TO PRODUCE PROGRESS TO DATE.
(C)
JLG: SET UP UNDER JD, MUCH PROGRESS TO DATE. WEALTH OF TECHNICAL AND PRACTICAL DETAILS TO CLEAR UP BEFORE 1997. MAMMOTH TASK, BUT UNDERTAKEN WITH POSITIVE AND COMMITMENT. JLG MEETING NOW MEETING NOW IN HK.
(D)
WHITE PAPER: RECENT REVIEW OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT MARKS SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD. DECISIONS TAKEN REPRESENT REASONABLE RESPONSE TO VIEWS OF COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE. REFERENCE TO GENERAL OBJECTIVES, STABILITY AND TRANSITION, AND BASIC LAW IN TERMS OF WHITE PAPER. (E)
BASIC LAW: BL LEGAL INSTRUMENT WHEREBY PRC WILL IMPLEMENT POLICIES FOR HK SAR AS SET OUT IN THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT DECLARATION. IN EFFECT A QUOTE MINI CONSTITUTION UNQUOTE. THE BL WILL REFLECT THE CENTRAL THEME OF THE JD THAT HONG KONG'S CAPITALIST SYSTEM AND LIFE-STYLE WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR 50 YEARS AND WILL CONFER HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY TO SAR AS WELL AS EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND JUDICIAL POWER.
(F)
BASIC LAW AND HK CONSTITUTION ESSENTIALLY A FALSE
SAR PEPEZ
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