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997, and defence lands.
The twenty-first meeting of the
JLG will take place in Hong Kong in the first week of
December 1991.
BILL OF RIGHTS
3. The Hong Kong Bill of Rights was enacted in June 1991. The Chinese issued a statement regretting the enactment and reserving the right to review after 1997 its compatibility
with the Basic Law. But this Chinese reaction was milder
than it might have been.
LEGCO ELECTIONS
4.
About
Elections to the Legislative Council were held on 12 and
15 September and went smoothly. 21 members were elected for functional constituencies and, for the first time, 18 were directly-elected by universal suffrage. (LegCo also has 3
ex-officio members and 18 appointed by the Governor). half the eligible voters registered and 39% of those registered turned out to vote. Mr Martin Lee and other "liberal" candidates, members of his United Democrats of Hong Kong or associated with them, won 16 of the 18 directly-elected seats and 6 functional seats. The Chinese authorities have publicly deplored this outcome.
ECONOMY
5. A sustained growth in exports, private consumption and capital investment has characterised the improvement in Hong Kong's economy so far this year. At least a 4% increase in GDP is projected for 1991 (2.8% in 1990). Re-exports have risen by 28.4% in value terms during the first seven months of this year compared to the same period last year, whilst domestic exports showed growth of 4.5%. Imports increased by 23.7%. However, high inflation, compounded recently by rises in prices of essential foodstuffs affected by flooding in China, continues to be of major concern. Inflation is expected to average 11.5% in 1991 (9.8% in 1990).
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