TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 31

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TRANSCRIPT B: HONG KONG SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING

22 MAR 89

FREIGH SECRETARY (CONTD)!!

Plainly, everyone is concerned to ensure that the Basic law will reflect the high degree of autonomy provided for in the Joint Declaration and the suggestion was that the text of these articles 106 and 107 as they appeared in the first draft, inhibited that

autononY .

1>

I think that you and I would not find it difficult to agree the objectives there defined are quite praiseworthy ones

a balanced budget and 2) low taxes.

That is the debate, as I understand it, that is still taking

These clauses are place within the Basic Law Drafting Committee.

an interesting example of the wish of the Chinese draftsmen to take account of Hong Kong views and there the debate is still

proceeding, as I say,

as I say, between the two concepts.

but

My own belief is that while it would clearly be legitimate to have articles which directed attention to the desirability of these objectives. probably it would be in the end preferable

to have a this is very much for the Drafting Committee conclusion which retained the autonomy, notwithstanding an

injunction to respect the objectives.

I think that is the sort of balance that is likely to emerge, but again, it is very much a matter of what will carry the day as a matter of confidence with the Hong Kong participants on

the Basic Law Drafting Committee.