A. NO # CAN UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S CONCERN FOR HNFORMATION BUT, AS BEEN SAND BEFORE, IT IS THE TALKS THAT COUNT AND WE MUST NOT BE PREJUDICED BY ANYTHING SAND OUTSIDE THEM. THE AM HIS TO REACH A SOLUTION ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH GOVERNMENTS AND ONE WHICH WILL BE WELCOMED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. NO MATTER WHAT ELSE HS SAID, THAT REMAINS THE COMMON AMM OF THE TALKS. THAT MS THE COMM:NTMENT
THAT WE CONTINUE TO PURSUE.
6. Q. HOW HMPORTANT HAS MR LUCE'S FORTHCOMING HONG KONG VISIT AND
HIS MEETINGS WITH YOU AND SHR PERCY CRADOCK? COULD THIS VISIT MARK A NEW STAGE IN THE TALKS?
A. MR LUCE WILL VISIT BRUNE, SHINGAPORE AND HONG KONG. THIS
WILL BE HHS FIRST WISHT HERE AS MINISTER AND THE AIM OF HIS
VISIT HIS TO BRING HIM UP TO DATE WITH DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG
WHICH HE LAST SAW FIVE YEARS AGO. THE THING OF HIS VISIT HS NOT
CONNECTED WITH THE TALKS.
7. Q. CAN YOU GIVE ANY INDICATION OF WHEN THE TALKS MAY REACH
MINISTERIAL LEVEL, ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR MR LUCE TO GO TO
PEKING?
A. THERE ARE NO PLANS AT PRESENT FOR MR LUCE TO JOHN THE
TALKS IN PEKUNG.
6. Q. DO THE RECENT APPOINTMENTS TO EXCO AND LEGCO REPRESENT A
FURTHER STEP IN THE DEMOCRATISATION OF HONG KONG: LEADING TO
DIRECT ELECTION TO LEGCO, FOR EXAMPLE?
A. H. AM PLEASED THAT THE APPOINTMENTS WERE GENERALLY WELL
RECEIVED. SHOULD BE SEEN AS PART OF PROCESS THAT HAS BEEN GOING
ON FOR SOMETHME NOW. THEY WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE AN EVEN WIDER
RANGER OF OPHION AND ADVICE THAN BEFORE AND TO DEVELOP LINKS
WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE DISTRICT BOARDS.
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