S5558 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— SENATE April 7, 1995 

power.’’ Under the joint declaration’s 

terms, Great Britain has the authority 

to govern Hong Kong until June 30, 

1997. 

The People’s Republic of China’s manipulation of the joint liaison group is 

part of the People’s Republic of China’s 

10-year pattern of reneging on its commitments under the joint declaration. 

Notwithstanding the recent public relations tour through the United States 

by Lu Ping, Beijing’s top Hong Kong 

official, the People’s Republic of China 

has repeatedly displayed its contempt 

for the joint declaration. Five years 

ago this week, in April 1990, Beijing 

codified significant deviations from the 

joint declaration in the basic law, the 

so-called miniconstitution for post-1997 

Hong Kong that Beijing wrote and 

rubberstamped in its National People’s 

Congress. The basic law subordinates 

the Hong Kong Legislature to the Beijing-appointed executive, and assigns 

the power of judicial interpretation to 

the standing committee of the National People Congress rather than to 

Hong Kong’s judges. The basic law’s 

provisions on the legislature may become moot however, since the People’s 

Republic of China has promised or 

threatened to dismantle the Legco and 

Hong Kong’s two other tiers of government. 

Beijing also threatens to abolish the 

Bill of Rights, enacted by the Legco in 

1991 in reaction to the Tiananmen 

Square Massacre, and over the objections of the Hong Kong government. 

Finally, a high official of the Chinese 

supreme court has suggested that Beijing will replace Hong Kong’s common 

law system, which is synonymous with 

individual rights and the rule of law 

within a civil law system. China’s own 

civil law system is explicitly subordinated to the Communist Party. 

The status of plans for establishing a 

high court before 1997 is cause for concern as well, and here the report’s brief 

treatment of the issue is troubling. The 

details of a Court of Final Appeal, to 

replace the Privy Council in London, as 

the territory’s highest court were 

agreed to in the joint declaration. The 

U.S.-Hong Kong Policy Act report mistakenly accepts the 1991 agreement between the British Government of Hong 

Kong and China as a basis for the Hong 

Kong government’s legislation implementing the court. The 1991 agreement 

explicitly violates the joint declaration 

and basic law. Accordingly, democratic 

legislators plan to amend it to bring it 

into accord with the joint declaration. 

I was surprised and disappointed that 

the report did not address two matters 

of tremendous significance in this transition period and to post-1997 Hong 

Kong. First, the report omitted any 

discussion of the Patten government’s 

rejection of proposals by Hong Kong’s 

democrats for an official human rights 

commission. Over the next 27 months, 

the commission cold define a human 

rights standard against which to judge 

the Hong Kong SAR government. The 

People’s Republic of China’s expressed 

hostility to independent and democratic government institutions after 

1997 is an argument for moving fullspeed ahead with a human rights commission and other institutional reforms, not for backing off. 

Also missing from the report was any 

mention of Great Britain’s failure to 

report on human rights in the colony 

according to its obligations under the 

International Covenant on Civil and 

Political Rights. 

As 1997 draws near, there will be a 

greater need for accurate and timely 

reporting on developments in Hong 

Kong. There is also a need for a clearer 

recognition of the implications of the 

People’s Republic of China’s behavior 

for the people of Hong Kong. I look forward to future reports and hope that, 

in the intervals between reports, my 

colleagues in the United States. Congress and other friends of Hong Kong 

will pay close attention to the statements and actions of the Beijing and 

Hong Kong governments. Above all, 

there must be more attention to the 

voices and concerns of the Hong Kong 

people.∑ 

f 

IMPACT AID 

∑ Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, last 

night we completed action on H.R. 1158, 

the supplemental appropriations and 

rescissions for fiscal year 1995. I wanted 

to briefly discuss one provision included in the leadership amendment 

adopted last evening to restore funding 

for impact aid. As my colleagues know, 

the Impact Aid Program is designed to 

provide aid to assist communities 

which have significant Federal presence in meeting education objectives. 

Specifically, this funding is important 

to Hatboro-Horsham school district in 

eastern Pennsylvania. My colleague, 

Senator SANTORUM, and I have heard 

from the local school district regarding 

this funding. 

I am aware of the importance of this 

funding to other areas of the country. 

In particular, I want to note the efforts 

of my friend and colleague from South 

Dakota, Senator PRESSLER, to preserve 

the impact aid funding. He personally 

told me of the adverse effect of the proposed rescission would have on a number of South Dakota schools, including 

the Pollock school district in northern 

South Dakota. I commend Senator 

PRESSLER for his leadership and for 

looking out for the educational interests of South Dakota schools, students, 

and families.∑ 

f 

ORDERS FOR MONDAY, APRIL 24, 

1995 

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, when 

the Senate completes its business 

today, I ask unanimous consent that it 

stand in adjournment, and on Monday 

April 24, 1995, at 12 noon, following the 

prayer, the Journal of proceedings be 

deemed approved to date, no resolutions come over under the rule, the call 

of the calendar be waived, the morning 

hour be deemed to have expired, and 

the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day; 

that there then be a period of morning 

business until 1 p.m., with Senators 

permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes 

each. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

PROGRAM 

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, at the 

hour of 1 p.m., it will be the intention 

of the majority leader to proceed to the 

consideration of H.R. 956, the product 

liability bill. For the further information of all Senators, the Senate will 

begin the product liability bill at that 

point but no votes will occur before 3 

p.m. on Monday. 

f 

ORDER FOR RECESS UNTIL 

MONDAY, APRIL 24, 1995 

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, if there 

is no further business to come before 

the Senate, I now ask unanimous consent that following my own remarks, 

the Senate stand in adjournment under 

the provisions of House Concurrent 

Resolution 58. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

ORDER FOR RECORD TO REMAIN 

OPEN 

Mr. GORTON. I ask unanimous consent that the RECORD remain open 

until 2 p.m. today for the introduction 

of bills and statements. 

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without 

objection, it is so ordered. 

f 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE 104TH 

CONGRESS 

Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I wish 

briefly to add my reflections on the accomplishments of this Congress and especially of our colleagues in the House 

of Representatives during this first 100 

days of that historic Congress. 

The new leadership of the House of 

Representatives made certain commitments, ambitious commitments to the 

people of the United States in the 

course of last year’s campaign covering 

a number of vitally important subjects 

to the people of the United States. 

Those commitments were repeated 

after the election was over. Those commitments have been kept to the letter 

by our colleagues in the House. 

I believe that this remarkable record 

of achievement has created a distinct 

resonance on the part of the American 

people whose opinion of Congress, extremely low as recently as 6 months 

ago, has at least begun to recover. Perhaps more significant in the long run 

will be the content of the 100 days’

promises, dramatic changes in the way 

in which Congress does its business, a 

very real attack on the problem of violent crime in our society, a major step 

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