TNAG-2103-FCO40-2995-Future-of-Hong-Kong-exchanges-with-the-Chinese-on-the-Basic--1990 — Page 97

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FM PEKING

TO PRIORITY F C O

TELNO 309

OF 270739Z FEBRUARY 90

HKCD12/3

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

27 FEB 1990

DESK OFFICER INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

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INFO ROUTINE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

38

004337

MDLIAN 1748

HONG KONG: BASIC LAW: CHINESE MEDIA REPORTS.

1. THE ''CHINA DAILY' OF 27 FEBRUARY CARRIES A REPORT ON DISCUSSION OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW IN THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE N P C. A SIMILAR ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE ''PEOPLE'S DAILY!!

OF 24 FEBRUARY.

2"

THE REPORTS NOTE THAT, AFTER FIVE DAYS OF DEBATE ON THE FINAL DRAFT, SENIOR CHINESE LAWYERS DECIDED ON 23 FEBRUARY TO SUBMIT THE DOCUMENT FOR APPROVAL TO THE N P C PLENUM NEXT MONTH. IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE NPC'S 2,600 DEPUTIES WOULD APPROVE THE

''MINI-CONSTITUTION' AT THE PLENUM.

3.

T

WANG SHUWEN, AN N P C LEGAL COMMITTEE MEMBER, SAID THAT THE DRAFT, BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF ''ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'', WAS A CREATION INVOLVING DRAFTERS AND ALL CHINESE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE FROM HONG KONG. IT WAS A COMBINATION OF PRINCIPLES AND FLEXIBILITY WHICH, ON THE ONE HAND, GUARANTEED NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND, ON THE OTHER, OFFERED A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY TO HONG KONG. ZOU YU, FORMER JUSTICE MINISTER, DESCRIBED THE LAW AS AN ''IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENT'' IN MODERN CHINESE HISTORY. IT WOULD ENSURE PROSPERITY AND PROGRESS FOR HONG KONG. IT WAS A GREAT CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNTRY'S STABILITY AND WOULD SURELY BENEFIT PEACE IN ASIA AND IN THE WORLD AS A WHOLE. HE WENFEN SAID SHE WAS GREATLY ENCOURAGED. THE LAW NEEDED TO BE PUBLICISED AND PROMOTED AND THE TEACHING OF PATRIOTISM NEEDED TO BE STEPPED UP IF IT WAS TO BE IMPLEMENTED SMOOTHLY. LEI JIEQIONG, A N P C VICE- CHAIRMAN, SAID PUBLICITY WOULD HELP THE CHINESE UNDERSTAND THE LAW BETTER. SHE ADDED THAT CHINA SHOULD PREPARE WELL FOR THE RESUMPTION OF THE EXERCISE OF SOVEREIGNTY.

4.

WANG HOUDE, A LEADING TRADE UNION OFFICIAL ON THE MAINLAND, REFERRED TO ARTICLE 148 CONCERNING RELATIONS BETWEEN TRADE UNIONS AND LABOUR ORGANISATIONS IN HONG KONG AND THEIR COUNTERPARTS ON THE MAINLAND. HE SAID THAT SUCH RELATIONS WERE BASED ON THE

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