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He assured the Unofficial Members that he appre- ciated the depth of their views on this topic, and asked them to leave the matter with him. While he could not hold out any hope for a change, he would report in detail to H.M. Government on the strength of local feelings on the subject. The constitutional position of the Governor was appreciated, but essentially every subject has a right of appeal to H.M. the Queen. The Governor's outstanding dedication to Hong Kong's interests was well known to everyone, but his role in this particular matter must not be magnified. In the final analysis the decision remains one for Her Majesty the Queen, who is advised on the matter by the Secretary of State, and whose advise she is bound constitutionally to accept.
The
(iii) Hon. Sir Y.K. KAN pointed out that what Lord GORONWY-Roberts had stated would not be understood by most of the people in Hong Kong. man-in-the-street thinks either that the Governor had not carried out his responsibilities or that he
had been over-ruled on the matter. He suggested that the interests of the U.K. in this particular matter should not be the dominant interest: the very fervently felt H.K. view should prevail. Hon. O.V. CHEUNG added that, in the Choi case, when a reprievo was granted, it was the first time the Governor had been openly over-ruled on such a matter.
(iv) Lord GORONWY-ROBERTS stated he took the point but it was necessary to look at the situation in broader perspective. The special partnership relationship between H.K. and the U.K. must be preserved. He would like to leave with Unofficial Members the thought that within the special partnership framework there were bound to be cases where the U.K. interest had to dominate as well as cases where the H.K. interest would prevail. He felt that the U.K. would be very much in favour of continuing the very speciel relationship which now exists with Hong Kong.
There were, inevitably, some things which jolted the re- lationship between the U.K. and H.K. from time to time. Notwithstanding these, and speaking as a frien he would ask the Unofficial Members to consider very carefully how to subserve the relationship.
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