TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 86

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MDLIAN 3933

CANDIDATES, THE POSTS OF CHIEF JUSTICE FOR THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL AND THE HIGH COURT COULD BE HELD BY THE SAME PERSON.

ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE

8. AN ECONOMIC RESEARCH CENTRE, THE 'ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS ECONOMIC RESEARCH INSTITUTE', HEADED BY FORMER BLCC CHAIRMAN T K ANN, DAVID LI, WONG PO-YAN AND LEUNG CHUN-YING, HAD BEEN SET UP.

GENERAL REMARKS

9. GOVERNOR QUOTED BRITISH PRIME MINISTER JOHN MAJOR AS SAYING THAT THERE WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY NO CHANGE IN BRITISH COMMITMENTS TO HONG KONG AND TO THE COMMITMENT TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JD AND THAT THERE WAS NO REASON EITHER TO SUSPECT CHINA'S COMMITMENTS TO THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JD.

10. A MEMBER OF THE CENTRAL POLICY UNIT, LINUS CHEUNG, SAID IN VANCOUVER THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM FACING HONG KONG WAS HOW TO IMPROVE THE RELATIONS AMONG CHINA, BRITAIN AND HONG KONG, AND THAT AS LONG AS HONG KONG PEOPLE PLAYED THEIR ROLE PROPERLY AND REFRAINED FROM THREATENING CHINESE AUTHORITY, HONG KONG WOULD HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE.

11. CHINA'S FOREIGN MINISTER, QIAN QICHEN, SAID THAT BOTH THE CHINESE AND BRITISH GOVERNMENTS SHOULD CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN CO-OPERATION THROUGH CONSTANT VISITS AND DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN THEMSELVES TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS RELATED TO HONG KONG'S TRANSITION. HE SAID THAT THE FACT THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNOR HAD ACCEPTED AN INVITATION TO VISIT CHINA SHOWED THAT THERE WERE FREQUENT CONTACTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN AND THAT BOTH SIDES WERE WILLING TO CONTINUE TO MAKE EFFORTS TO FOSTER CLOSER CO-OPERATION ON THE BASIS OF THE JD. LU PING SAID THAT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE BEING RELAXED AND THAT BOTH CHINA AND BRITAIN WERE MAKING EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE OBSTACLES IN THE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL SET UP IN THE PAST. A VICE FOREIGN MINISTER, TIAN ZENGPEI, SAID THAT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE NOT BAD AND WERE IMPROVING.

12. WEN WEI PO QUOTED AN ARTICLE IN THE LATEST ISSUE OF THE BAUHINIA MONTHLY AS SAYING THAT GREATER CO-ORDINATION AND CO- OPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE MAINLAND WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY IN THE TERRITORY AND THAT IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY DURING THE TRANSITION AND AFTER 1997, CHINA SHOULD MAINTAIN CLOSE CONTACTS WITH THE BRITISH AND INCREASE COMMUNICATIONS AND CO- OPERATION WITH THEM.

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