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QUESTION 22. JILL HARTLEY, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST:
COULD THE FOREIGN SECRETARY GIVE US AN ASSURANCE THAT ALL THE POINTS
IN THE AGREEMENT WILL BE ENSHRINED IN THE BASIC LAW AND CAN WE STILL
HAVE AN AGREEMENT IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SEEK A SOLUTION TO
THOSE THREE CRUCIAL STICKING POINTS YOU HAVE MENTIONED TO US TODAY
IN YOUR STATEMENT?
ANSWER. THOSE THREE POINTS ARE AMONG THOSE ON WHICH WE SHALL HAVE TO
REACH CONCLUSIONS BEFORE WE COMPLETE THE NEGOTIATIONS. AND ON YOUR
FIRST QUESTION THE ANSWER IS YES.
QUESTION 23. LOUIE KING-BIN TA KUNG PAO:
SIR GEOFFREY, YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR STATEMENT THAT THERE WAS STILL A
LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE. CAN YOU MENTION SOME OF IT?
ANSWER. WELL, I'VE IDENTIFIED THREE OF THEM, ALSO IN THE STATEMENT.
QUESTION 24. REX MCDONALD, COMMERCIAL RADIO:
CAN YOU BE A LITTLE BIT MORE ELABORATE, A LITTLE ON THE PHRASE A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY AFTER 1997. FOR EXAMPLE, HOW WILL THE GOVERNOR BE CHOSEN?
ANSWER. WELL, I'VE ALREADY INDICATED HOW FAR I CAN GO AT THIS STAGE IN THE NEGOTIATIONS IN FILLING OUT THAT PHRASE, BUT I'VE IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF PLACES ON WHICH IT IS ALREADY CLEAR THAT HONG KONG WILL
BE ABLE TO TAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS ABOUT ITS OWN POLICIES. I CAN'T GO FURTHER TODAY.
QUESTION 25. NANCY LEE, TVB:
''HOW MANY ANNEXES WILL THERE BE AND CAN YOU TELL US THE SPECIFIC
NATURE OF EACH OF THEM?''
ANSWER. I THINK THAT IF I BEGIN SPECULATING ABOUT THAT I MIGHT LEAD TO ALL SORTS OF CONCLUSIONS. THERE WILL BE ANNEXES: THEY WILL
BE OF THE SAME FORCE OF THE AGREEMENT OF BINDING FORCE AND
VALIDITY.''
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QUESTION 26. SIU CHOK-KIN, KUNG SHEUNG YAT PO: ''SIR GEOFFREY, YOU SAID JUST NOW THAT AFTER 1997 THE EXTERNAL DIPLOMACY RIGHTS OF HONG KONG WILL GO BACK TO CHINA. WHAT WILL HAPPEN BETWEEN HONG KONG AND TAIWAN THEN? IS THERE A SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT LISTED IN THE SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT? IN HONG KONG WE KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF WRITERS AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE REPUBLIC
OF CHINA. WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THEM?''
ANSWER. ''THAT IS NOT SOMETHING I THINK I CAN USEFULLY MAKE ANY
COMMENT ON AT THIS STAGE.''
QUESTION 27. VIVIAN MAK, COMMERCIAL RADIO:
''THE FIRST QUESTION: WHY IS IT THAT THE GROUP HAS TO BE BASED HERE IN FOUR YEARS' TIME. THE SECOND QUESTION IS: DURING YOUR VISIT TO BEIJING HAVE YOU DISCUSSED THE QUESTION OF THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR HONG KONG''.
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ANSWER