2013年8月6日 08:11
《信報》評論︰最近粉嶺別墅成為公眾關注的一個課題，為別墅的命運帶來疑問。現在還不知道事情會如何發展，但我個人希望有關的討論可以放下，因為粉嶺別墅背後的意義是遠超於香港特區首長的其中一項福利那麼簡單，雖然有人認為這項福利已經不合時宜了。
據我所知，粉嶺別墅見證了中英雙方，就香港回歸磋商的積極合作過程，很多鮮為人知的歷史，例如在政治過渡期間、以後穩定香港貨幣和金融的基石，就是在那裏奠下的。
《信報》最近有一篇文章（〈陳佐洱粉嶺別墅的秘密會晤〉．余錦賢，刊7月12日）提到粉嶺別墅這方面的歷史背景，指別墅在回歸前是中英秘密會談的地方，並提及
在談判中擔任重要角色的港澳辦前副主任陳佐洱先生所寫的書。陳先生在書中記述了他在回歸談判中的親身經歷，在第一章憶述了1991年秋的一個周末早晨，他陪同港澳辦前主任魯平先生，到粉嶺別墅參加秘密會談，這是根據中英兩國政府首腦簽署的《關於香港新機場建設及有關問題諒解備忘錄》的規定而進行的。
對於當日的談判及其對香港過渡期的重要性，陳先生的敍述甚有啟發性，但對我來說，更有趣的是他從深圳到粉嶺別墅短暫但複雜的歷程。他提到在文錦渡大橋登上英方的小轎車，到附近警崗的直升機坪，再乘直升機到粉嶺別墅。這一段描述勾起了我的回憶，令我突然很想以仍在腦海的親身經歷，為粉嶺別墅這方面的歷史補上一
筆。
陳先生所描述的旅程，正是我早他三年的親身經歷。我清楚記得那天是1988年12月3日，因為我在當天的工作日誌上，簡單地寫了「粉嶺」兩字。我當時擔任港英政府的副金融司，也是中英金融事務小組裏的英方成員。在1997年7月1日解散前，這個小組一直不為人知。在
1988年12月，經過一年左右的非正式接觸與互訪，這小組正式成立，由中英雙方各派出三名核心成員組成（外加工作人員）。說回12月3日，那個晴朗的星期六早晨，我還有一個任務，就是陪同中方成員從文錦渡到粉嶺別墅。
中方代表一共五人
當時中方有五名代表，包括魯平先生及另外兩名中方小組成員，分別是中國銀行前副行長李裕民先生和人大財政經濟委員會顧問勇龍桂先生，另外還有兩名工作人員，名字我已經記不起了，但其中一位很可能是港澳辦前司長張良棟先生，他後來是繼魯先生和陳先生後，第三位中方小組領導人，也是最後一位。張先生幾年前英年早逝，令人惋惜。
也許，就是從那時開始，粉嶺別墅成為中英雙方在中英聯合聯絡小組以外，在港討論關於香港政治過渡重要事宜的秘密會談地方，儘管我不知道1988年12月3日的會議是不是第一次。我那天早上8時45分左右到達文錦渡，由一名入境處人員接待，他很盡責，陪我到文錦渡大橋，當時大橋為了這秘密行程而暫時封閉，除了準備接載中方來賓到附近警崗直升機坪的入境處小轎車外，便沒有其他車輛。到了9時，五位中方代表從深圳那方走過來，我則在大橋中央等待他們，然後馬上上
車，因為過境手續已事先辦好。在9時05分，我們已經登上直升機，向粉嶺別墅飛去。
這一趟直升機航程沒有沖上雲霄，從起飛到着陸，只花
了不到10分鐘。雖然我當時整個腦袋都是當天會議議程，同時也忙於與嘉賓寒暄，慶幸螺旋槳的聲音，掩飾了我彆扭的普通話，而我亦有機會一瞥外面的風景。令我震撼的是，深圳的城市化與新界北的鄉郊環境成了強烈對比。這令我感到困惑，因為當時深港兩地經濟發展差別那麼大，但眼前的景象卻令我分不清哪邊是深，哪邊是港；正如我雖然是中國人，卻代表英方參加中英談判，令我經常感到迷茫。
政治顧問派員在場
當年，粉嶺別墅的主人翁港督衛奕信爵士，即現在的衛奕信勳爵，也在場歡迎中方訪客，並安排了衛奕信夫人的書房用作會談場地。英方小組另外兩名成員已經一早到達，分別是前財政司翟克誠爵士（Sir Piers Jacobs）和由英倫銀行借調過來的前金融司林定國先生（David
Nendick），作為第三名成員的我便馬上走到談判桌的英方席位。
這張談判桌看來非常突兀，完全不配合書房的風格，顯然是為這次會談特別安排的。政治顧問辦公室亦有派人到場觀察談判，並作記錄。我想這個人在場的作用，也許亦是為香港三人小組看起來更有英國味道。在場的還有那位不可或缺
的出色傳譯員。我很高興發現茶點已經放在桌上，因為不知何故早前那個短暫的「水陸空」旅程原來是頗費氣力的。另一樣令我高興的，是我們的座位面向窗戶，因
為我寧願看外面的花園多於看掛在牆上的畫，雖然在談判期間我其實是沒有甚麼時間可以遊魂的。
評估「新會計安排」
我仍然記得那天部分的議程，其中一項是英方就貨幣管理的「新會計安排」提供操作評估報告。早在1988年第二季，雙方曾就有關安排作出有建設性的討論，並促使中方同意了有關安排，隨後在當年7月15日公布，並於7月18日正式實施。那是香港貨幣史上，政府首次正式獲取了具影響力的貨幣控制權力，但由於是因應當時的特殊情況所設計，以及不想太大幅度改變當時的安排，這個新的貨幣管理機制仍是頗為間接，直至1996年再以另一個安排完全取代。
一向低調而踏實的翟克誠爵士很滿意地說，有關措施既成功且獲廣泛接受。屬英方小組年輕成員的我當時才剛年過40，坐在他左邊積極附和，顯得興奮萬分，因為我就是這個「新會計安排」的設計人。猶記得當年7月16日《信報》創辦人林行止先生亦以〈政府妙手乾坤，滙豐壯士斷臂〉為題，來形容這個安排，拆解背後意義。
金管局孕育之地
議程的另一項目，自然是關於聯繫滙率的機制。當時討論這課題的焦點都放在港元與疲弱的美元掛鈎的代價和好處，以及應如何回應外間提出要取締聯繫滙率的建議，例如把港元與一籃子貨幣掛鈎的不可行之處。
接着是一個比較策略性的、一個我特別難忘的議程項目，我清楚記得當時所用的項目標題：「為香港設立金融管理局的概念」。是的，粉嶺別墅中衛奕信夫人書房內，
那張臨時湊合而顯得突兀的談判桌，正是孕育香港金融管理局的地方！有趣的是，中英雙方初時都顯得頗靦腆，故意表現得模棱兩可，可能是擔心在敏感問題上走錯一着，而且很在意相關的《基本法》條款（109至113條）。我必須承認，當時對這種態度感到失望，因為雙方之前看來都很想撮合這個課題，加上我在草擬方
案上花了很多時間和精力。幸好，之後其他成員安慰我，說有關討論其實進展得極好。事實上，在四年四個月後，即1993年4月1日，香港金融管理局便正式成
立。
無證踏上大陸土地
這次會談還有其他議題，會議輕鬆地在原定回程時間下午5點前結束了。我再次陪同中方成員乘坐直升機和小轎車，再步行回到文錦渡。魯平先生知道我從10歲左右第一次到內地後便沒有再去過，於是便邀請我在沒有回鄉證的情況下踏步進入大陸土地，而我也勇
敢地接受了邀請，雖然期間也曾偷偷地回頭，與入境處官員用眼神遙遠地保持溝通。我不敢留得太久，藉口說不想影響正常交通，懷着難以言喻的複雜心情，步過文
錦渡，一個人走回香港境內。
翟克誠爵士和林定國先生數年前相繼離世。對我來說，特別是在這個時候，很難不想念他們，以及他們在政治過渡的敏感期間，默默而出色地為香港貨幣及金融穩定作出的貢獻，果敢地採取影響深遠的策略性行動。懇請各方人士，高抬貴手，放過粉嶺別墅吧！
以下為英文原文
************************************
The Fanling Lodge
The
Fanling Lodge attracted some public attention lately, calling into
question its long term future. Whether there will be any follow through
on this matter is not clear. I certainly hope not, because the Fanling
Lodge is much more than just an established perk for the leader of Hong
Kong, however unnecessary such a perk may now seem. As far as I am
aware, it has an untold history of productive Sino-British cooperation
on the future of Hong Kong. For example, the foundation of monetary and
financial stability for Hong Kong in political transition and well
beyond was laid there.
A recent article in the Hong Kong
Economic Journal mentioned the Fanling Lodge again in the historical
context I just referred to. It drew attention to the role that the Lodge
played as a venue for secret talks on the future of Hong Kong before
the resumption of sovereignty. The article made references to the
writings by Mr. Chen Zuo’er, formerly Deputy Director of the Hong Kong
and Macau Affairs Office of the State Council (HKMAO), who played an
important part in the Sino-British negotiations over the resumption of
sovereignty over Hong Kong. Indeed, in Chapter 1 of his book on his
personal experience in those negotiations, Mr. Chen recalled a morning
he spent in an autumn weekend in 1991 in the Fanling Lodge, accompanying
Mr. Lu Ping, formerly Director of the HKMAO, in some secret follow-up
talks arising from a Sino-British Memorandum of Understanding signed
earlier concerning the building of then “the new airport” and now the
Chek Lap Kok Airport.
Mr. Chen’s account of the proceedings of
the meeting that morning and their significance for Hong Kong in
transition were insightful. But more interesting, at least to me, were
the details he revealed of the journey he took from Shenzhen to the
Fanling Lodge. He mentioned his short walk across the Man Kam To Bridge,
his short car ride to the helicopter pad at the Police post nearby and
the similarly short helicopter ride to the Fanling Lodge. This filled me
with nostalgia and a sudden urge to enrich this aspect of the history
of the Lodge, to the extent that I can still recall from actual
experience.
Mr. Chen Zuo’er was actually retracing the journey
that I had taken around three years before him, precisely on 3 December
1988, as the simple entry of “Fanling” in my desk diary recalled. I was
Deputy Secretary for Monetary Affairs in the Colonial government then,
and the junior member of a Financial Matters Group, the existence of
which was a well kept secret till the Group was disbanded on 1 July
1997. Back in December 1988, the Group had just been set up, after a
year or so of informal contacts and visits, and comprised of three core
members (plus supporting staff) each from the British and the Chinese
sides. I had the additional responsibility that fine Saturday morning of
escorting the Chinese members of the Group throughout the short
journey.
There was a party of five from the Mainland,
comprising Mr. Lu Ping and the two Chinese members of the Group, Mr. Li
Yumin, then Deputy Chairman of the Bank of China and Mr. Yong Longgui,
then Adviser to the Financial and Economic Committee of the National
People’s Congress. There were also two supporting staff members, the
names of which I could not recall, but one might have been Mr. Zhang
Liangdong of HKMAO, who later became the third and last person to lead
the Group on the Chinese side after Mr. Lu Ping and Mr. Chen Zuo’er. Mr.
Zhang has sadly already passed away at a young age a few years ago.
This
use of the Fanling Lodge for Sino-British secret discussions held in
Hong Kong, outside of the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, on issues of
importance for Hong Kong in political transition, probably started
then, although I do not know for sure whether the meeting on 3 December
1988 was the first such occasion. I arrived at Man Kam To that morning
at around 8:45 am and was met by an official of the Immigration
Department. He dutifully accompanied me to the Bridge, which was closed
to traffic temporarily for the occasion. Other than the Immigration
Department van standing ready to take the Chinese guests to the nearby
Police post helicopter pad there was no car in sight. At 9:00 am the
party of five walked across from the Mainland side of the Bridge. I met
them half way on the Bridge and all of us quickly got into the van, with
the immigration procedures already pre-arranged. By 9:05 am we were
already in the helicopter heading towards the Fanling Lodge.
The
helicopter ride, including taking off and landing, took less than 10
minutes. Although my mind was pre-occupied with the meeting agenda for
the rest of the day, and I was busy renewing acquaintances with the
guests, happy that the noise of the blades was covering up the
inadequacy of my Putonghua, I was able to catch a glimpse of the view
outside. I was struck by the contrast between the already rather
urbanized and built-up Shenzhen and the still rather rural and green
environment of Northern New Territories then. I got rather confused,
remembering the significantly different stages of development of the two
economies, as to which side was which; just as I, being Chinese, was
often confused when going into Sino-British talks on Hong Kong in
transition as a member of the British side.
The tenant of the
Fanling Lodge then, Sir David Wilson, now Lord Wilson, was there to
greet the visitors and offered the use of Lady Wilson’s study for the
talks. The other members on the British side of the Financial Matters
Group were already there – Sir Piers Jacobs, then Financial Secretary
and Mr. David Nendick, then Secretary for Monetary Affairs (seconded
from the Bank of England). As the third member, I quickly went over to
our side of the meeting table, which was an odd piece of furniture that
was totally out of place in the study but was obviously needed for the
occasion. Someone from the Political Advisor’s Office was there to
observe the proceedings, take notes and, I supposed, give the three-man
Hong Kong team a more British impression to our interlocutors; so was
the indispensable and capable interpreter. I was glad that refreshments
were already on the table, as somehow I had found that short journey
rather tiring. I was also glad that we had the side facing the window,
because I preferred the sight of the garden outside than the pictures on
the wall behind, not that I had much time during the talks to wander.
I
can still remember a number of items on the agenda for that Saturday.
One was for the British side to give an appraisal of the operation of
the “New Accounting Arrangements” for monetary control. Earlier in the
second quarter of 1988, there had been constructive discussions on those
arrangements, leading to the Chinese side endorsing them and their
subsequent implementation on 18 July 1988. That was when, for the first
time in the monetary history of Hong Kong, some form of effective
monetary control by the government was established. That initial
mechanism of monetary control was, however, a rather indirect one very
much dictated by the special circumstances then and the all important
desire not to rock the boat too much, so to speak, and was later in 1996
replaced by a full-fledged alternative. But the arrangements had been
successful and well received then, and Sir Piers Jacobs was pleased to
say so, in his low key and effective demeanor. This was echoed
enthusiastically by the young man in the team – yours truly, the
originator of the arrangements – sitting on his left, who had just
turned 40, and was obviously overjoyed.
Another item on the
agenda was, not unexpectedly, the linked exchange rate system. Then, the
pre-occupation of all concerned were the costs and benefits of an
exchange rate that was fixed against a weak US dollar and how the
popular calls for alternatives, such as linking to a basket of
currencies instead, should be rebutted.
Yet another item, a
rather strategic one dear to my heart, was, and I can still remember the
exact wording used, “Concept of Monetary Authority for Hong Kong”. Yes
it was then, on the make-shift meeting table that was so out of place in
Lady Wilson’s study in the Fanling Lodge, that the Hong Kong Monetary
Authority was conceived! Interestingly, both sides were rather shy to
begin with, careful in being non-committal, perhaps for fear of wrong
footing on a delicate subject, and mindful of the relevant provisions
(Articles 109 to 113) of the Basic Law. This attitude, I must confess,
disappointed me somewhat at the time, given that both sides had appeared
keen, in earlier contacts, to get into the subject, and given the time
and care that I had spent in drafting the paper. But I was comforted
afterwards by my other team members that the discussion on the item had
in fact gone extremely well. Indeed, another four years and four months
on 1 April 1993 the Hong Kong Monetary Authority was formally
established.
There were other agenda items for the meeting,
which was scheduled to end well before the return journey timed to start
at 5 pm. Again, I escorted the Chinese team on the helicopter, van and
walk journey back to Man Kam To. Noting that I had only been back to the
Mainland once when I was around ten years old, Mr. Lu Ping kindly
invited me to step onto Mainland territory without my home return
permit, which I did courageously, but not without passing glances with
the officer of the Immigration Department. I dared not stay long,
excusing myself for not wanting to hold up ordinary traffic for too long
and, with indescribably mixed feelings, walked alone back to the Hong
Kong side across Man Kam To.
Both Sir Piers Jacobs and Mr.
David Nendick have passed away for some years now. It is difficult,
particularly at a moment like this, for me not to miss them and their
quiet and effective contributions to monetary and financial stability of
Hong Kong over the sensitive period of political transition, making
strategic moves that had sustained effects well beyond. Spare the
Fanling Lodge please.
Joseph Yam
July 2013
==================
余錦賢︰陳佐洱粉嶺別墅的秘密會晤
《信報》香港脈搏：政府公布新界東北新發展區的「終極」方案，未能為發展與保育的爭拗劃上句號，反而令爭議加劇，而且還愈燒愈廣，除了波及純屬富豪玩意的粉嶺高爾夫球場，還波及位於其側的特首粉嶺別墅。
行政長官梁振英昨天在立法會答問大會上表示，「十分願意向政府提出把粉嶺別墅納入整個新界東北的發展範圍內」。言下之意，是不介意放棄這幢私人別墅。既然如此，特首大可考慮開放這幢歷史建築，讓公眾可以有機會一睹其內有過的歷史故事。
建於1934年的粉嶺別墅，在殖民地時代既是港督的度假地方，也是港督會見政治人物而不欲外人知曉的地點。回歸前，曾參與中英談判的前港澳辦副主任
陳佐洱，在其著作《我親歷的香港回歸談判》中「爆料」，談到1991年秋天，他與時任港澳辦主任的魯平與港督衞奕信在粉嶺別墅的「秘密會晤」。
說明是「秘密會晤」，自然不會公開，因此行程安排也顯得格外神秘。陳佐洱說，當時他是從陸路、由一輛普通的小轎車載着他與魯平到深圳文錦渡口岸，停
在深圳河橋的中央，「幾乎同時，橋的那頭也開出一輛小轎車，也在橋中央停下，我們二人迅速換乘英方來車，掉頭駛入香港」，直奔到附近的小山坡，然後再登上
山坡頂上那已開動大螺旋槳的直升機，飛往粉嶺別墅。
來到了粉嶺別墅，陳佐洱形容它「有點兒古色古香，林深花開的小徑環繞其間」，衞奕信與魯平在花徑上散步，交換了對香港進入後過渡期平穩過渡的想法，並就一系列重要問題，雙方達成共識。然後，他們一同步入客廳，大家「友好地舉杯共進英國式午餐」。（節錄）
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