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A: WELL, 4: THINK THAT I WAS ENDEAVOURING TO DEMONSTRATE SOMETHING
THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND VERY FULLY THAT AT A TIME WHEN PEOPLE ARE
FEELING A LITTLE INSECURE BECUASE WE'RE NOT YET CERTAIN OF THE NATURE OF THE SOLUTION THAT WE REACH, THERE WILL BE UPS AND DOWNS, THERE WILL BE BUFFETING, THERE WILL BE IF YOU LIKE TO USE ANOTHER ANALOGY, TURBULENCE. INDEED WHEN LANDED IN HONG KONG ON SATURDAY
HOPE MT WAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME BUT THE LEVEL OF THE DOLLAR
HAD GONE TO RATHER AN UNUSUAL LEVEL. IT'S STEADYING AGAIN AND HE
THINK THAT WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A STEADY NERVE AND TO KEEP OUR
SIGHTS ON OUR OBJECTIVE, NOT TO LOSE OUR NERVE, TO KEEP OUR
RESOLVE, TO KEEP OUR DETERMINATION, AND EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN ABOUT
... THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO MY MIND BEARS OUT THAT YOU HAVE THOSE
QUALITIES. COULD JUST SAY HOUGHT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION A
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LITTLE MORE SPECIFICALLY, YOU SAND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT THE
BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD DO THIS REALLY IS A MATTER FOR THE HONG
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KONG GOVERNMENT AND BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THOSE IN
AUTHORITY HERE HAVE HANDLED THIS SHTUATION WITH GREAT
DECISIVENESS AND HAVE GREAT ADMIRATION FOR THAT AND I'M SURE
THAT THEIR ACTION TAKEN IN A VERY CALM AND RATIONAL MANNER SHOULD
DO A LOT TO HELP RESTORE AND RETAMIN CONFIDENCE.
Q: BY HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL: THE CHINESE PRESS FELT RECENTLY
THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WANT TO CONTINUE MTS ADMINISTRATION BEYOND 1997, MAY WE KNOW WHETHER IT'S THE POSITION, WELL KNOWN POSITION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND CAN YOU TELL US WHAT HAS
THE WELL KNOWN POSITION OF THE BRINTHISH GOVERNMENT ON THE FUTURE
OF HONG KONG?
M
A: WELL NOW YOU KNOW THIS IS EXACTLY AN EXAMPLE OF THE SORT OF
THING THAT IF WE START INDULGING IN A COUNTER-ARGUMENTAVE
CAMPAIGN WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT HELP ANYBODY.
OUR OBJECTIVE IS NOT TO TALK HIN PUBLIC ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS AND LET ME JUST ASK YOU TO TOGETHER LET'S JUST FACE UP TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS. IF, SPEAK AS FRANKLY AS CAN, HF EVERY THME THERE WAS A SUGGESTION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION
**S THIS OR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IS THAT HRRESPECTIVE OF WHETHER IT'S ACCURATE OR INACCURATE, WE THEN RESPOND, THEN THERE'S ANOTHER RESPONSE, THEN THE THING SPECULATES MORE AND MORE AND GOES UP AND UP LIKE THAT, THEN WE DO NO SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, THAT'S NOT OUR OBJECTIVE. WE'VE GOT TO KEEP OUR SIGHTS ON THE LONG TERM AND WHAT OUR OBJECTIVE IS AND CAN JUST
ONLY GO ON RESTATHING TO YOU HOW STRONG OUR COMMITTMENT IS TO THAT OBJECTIVE WHICH HAVE DESCRIBED, WHICH HAS FEATURED IN EVERY STATEMENT FROM THE PRIME MINISTER TO THE QUEEN'S SPEECH OF JUNE THIS YEAR AND TO MY REMARKS THINS EVENING.
Q: BY PATRICIA PENN, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING: MINISTER, WHTH RESPECT YOU DODGED THE QUESTION OF WHETHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED A WNSH FOR A BRITISH CONTINUATION OF A BRITISH PRESENCE HERE AND CAN UNDERSTAND PERHAPS WHY, BUT IT HAS BEEN STATED THAT HONG KONG PUBLIC OPINION HIS UMPORTANT. NOW, HOW DO YOU EXPECT THAT PUBLIC OPINION TO BE EXPRESSED AND DO YOU THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IT SHOULD BE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED WHAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WANT
FOR THE OUTSIDE WORLD TO SEE? .
A.