TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 302

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5. THE HEAD OF THE BRITISH TEAM ON THE JLG, ANTHONY GALSWORTHY, SAID AT A SEPARATE PRESS CONFERENCE THAT THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE

AND THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS DID NOT RUN COUNTER TO THE JOINT DECLARATION OR THE BASIC LAW. DURING THE TALKS, THE BRITISH TEAM HAD EXPLAINED TO THE CHINESE THAT THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THE

NATIONALITY SCHEME WAS TO RETAIN KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IN A BID

TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. HE SAID THAT

BRITAIN WOULD CONSIDER ANY POINT OF SUBSTANCE CHINA MIGHT MAKE ABOUT THE BILL, BUT SO FAR BRITAIN HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY REQUEST TO

CHANGE IT.

6. THE JLG TALKS DREW WIDE COMMENTS FROM THE PAPERS (28-30.4). MOST

INDEPENDENT PAPERS URGED BOTH BRITAIN AND CHINA TO SORT OUT THEIR DIFFERENCES OVER THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS THROUGH NEGOTIATIONS SO AS NOT TO AFFECT HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IN THE TERRITORY. PEKING-RUN WEN WEI PO (28.4) SAID THAT ANNEX II OF THE JOINT DECLARATION HAD STIPULATED THAT BOTH SIDES

SHOULD DISCUSS MATTERS RELATING TO THE SMOOTH TRANSFER OF

ADMINISTRATION AND THAT THEY SHOULD EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND

CONDUCT CONSULTATIONS ON SUCH SUBJECTS AS MIGHT BE AGREED BY THE TWO SIDES. IT CONTENDED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD FIRST CONSULT

THE CHINESE SIDE ON THESE TWO ISSUES.

BILL OF RIGHTS

7. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE VERY WILLING TO

LISTEN TO ANY VIEW THAT CHINA MIGHT HAVE ON THE BILL OF RIGHTS, THE MEDIA (28.4) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. THE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO

BRING IN THE BILL AND THOUGHT IT WAS ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT

WAS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW. HE SAID THAT BOTH

OF THOSE DOCUMENTS HAD PROVIDED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANTS TO

BE APPLIED TO HONG KONG AND THAT WAS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO DO.

8. JI PENGFEI HIT OUT AT THE DRAFT BILL OF RIGHTS AT A MEETING WITH A DELEGATION OF LEGAL EXPERTS FROM HONG KONG, THE MEDIA (25.4) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. HE TOLD THE DELEGATION THAT THE BILL HAD GIVEN RISE TO SUSPICION AS IT WAS PROPOSED AT A TIME WHEN THE

BRITISH WERE GOING TO WITHDRAW FROM HONG KONG. HE BELIEVED THAT THE

INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL BY THE BRITISH WAS AIMED AT NULLIFYING THE

BASIC LAW. HE SAID THAT ANY PIECE OF LEGISLATION WHICH DID NOT FALL

IN LINE WITH THE BASIC LAW WOULD BECOME INVALID AFTER 1997.

9. LIU YIU-CHU CONTENDED THAT THERE WAS NOT NEED TO INTRODUCE A

BILL OF RIGHTS FOR HONG KONG SINCE IT HAD BEEN STIPULATED IN THE

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