UNCLASSIFIED
110321
MDLIAN 8355
THE US SHOULD DISCUSS AND STUDY THE BASIC LAW IN A FRIENDLY MANNER.
5. THE GENERAL MANAGER OF HOPEWELL HOLDINGS, GORDON WU, SAID THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE THE MAJOR FORCE IN PROPELLING CHINA INTO MODERNISATION AND THAT IT WOULD BE STUPID FOR CHINA TO TREAT HONG KONG IN 1997 IN THE SAME WAY AS IT HAD TREATED SHANGHAI IN 1949.
LEGAL AND JUDICIAL SYSTEMS
6. A WORKING GROUP ON ''MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE HEADED BY DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR SECURITY IAN STRACHAN WOULD BE SET UP TO ASSIST THE JLG TALKS AND OVERSEE SUBSEQUENT NEGOTIATIONS WITH FOREIGN COUNTRIES, THE HONG KONG STANDARD (14.11) REPORTED, QUOTING A JLG SOURCE. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE PROVISION IN THE BASIC LAW CONCERNING JUDICIAL JURISDICTION OF THE SAR COURTS AND THE AUTHORITY TO INTERPRET THE BASIC LAW WOULD POSE A THREAT TO AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY IN HONG KONG. PRESIDENT OF THE LAW SOCIETY DONALD YAP NOTED THAT THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES IN MANY WAYS OBSTRUCTED AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND THAT IT WAS NECESSARY TO TRAIN UP AN INDEPENDENT AND WELL-DISCIPLINED LEGAL PROFESSION. FORMER APPEAL COURT JUDGE SIMON LEE SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN MANY EXAMPLES OF THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITIES INTERFERING WITH THE JUDICIARY AND THAT HONG KONG'S PRESENT JUDICIARY WAS NOT YET ENTIRELY INDEPENDENT, MR JI PENGFEI SAID THAT THE BRITISH AND CHINESE SIDES ON THE JLG HAD NO MAJOR DIFFERENCES OVER THE SETTING UP OF A COURT OF FINAL APPEAL FOR THE FUTURE SAR, BUT THAT THE PRINCIPLES AND PERSONNEL ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE COURT HAD YET TO BE NEGOTIATED.
MILITARY
7. THE JLG WOULD HOLD AN EXPERTS' MEETING ON DEFENCE AND SECURITY. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HOPED THAT THE CHINESE COULD BE PERSUADED TO USE STONECUTTERS ISLAND AS A NAVAL BASE AFTER 1997 AND NOT TO STATION PLA TROOPS IN URBAN AREAS, THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES REPORTED.
VISIT BY CHINESE OFFICIALS
8. MEDIA REPORTS (20.11) NOTED TIAN ZENGPEI'S VISIT TO LONDON AT THE INVITATION OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. A DELEGATION OF THE CHINESE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE WAS IN HONG KONG FOR A WEEK-LONG VISIT.
OMELCO VISIT
PAGE 2 UNCLASSIFIED
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.