III:
BASIC LAW
Remarkable that China should be drafting a Basic Law for Hong
Kong, meticulous in detail and comprehensive in scope, which provides for continuation of Hong Kong's capitalist system and way of life and safeguards basic rights and freedoms in a legally
binding way.
one.
To China's credit that drafting process should be such an open
Hong Kong people are being fully consulted at every stage.
Revised draft (published at end of February) is a considerable
improvement on the first. Reflects sincere desire of drafters to
take account of Hong Kong opinion.
As co-signatories of Joint Declaration we have the right to satisfy ourselves that Basic Law reflects properly provisions of
Joint Declaration. We have conducted a fruitful behind-the-scenes
dialogue with the Chinese about the draft.
Many amendments to original draft, go long way to meeting many
of concerns expressed by Hong Kong people:
-
amendments ensure significantly greater autonomy for HKSAR than original provisions, especially in legal/judicial
systems;
- revised draft states that restrictions imposed by law on human
right must not contravene relevant International Covenants;
- a provision that English will be an official language of the
SAR;
Senior Chinese officials have indicated that revised draft still subject to further consultation and amendment. Basic Law, after undergoing any further revision, will be submitted to NPC for promulgation in 1990.
ALRAAH
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