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4.
RONALD CHIU, TVB News:
In your speech earlier today you said
you would do your utmost to reconcile the differences between the British and Chinese Governments during negotiations over the futur of Hong Kong, but just how diametrically opposed to each other are these differences?
P.H.
Well, you know the Chinese view on sovereight they have expressed it many times, and you know the British view. You know that treaties are made to be kept, and it is best under those circumstances where each side has it's respective view, to enter into talks so that we can arrive at an agreed solution. That is exactly what we shall do; it will take some time, we will have to go about it steadily until we reach a solution which is acceptable to China, to the people of Hong Kong and to Britain. These kind of negotiations are not unknown and they do achieve success if we persist in our objective.
ROSS MUNRO, Time Magazine: Prime Minister, by expressing its commitment to the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong, are you satisfied that the Chinese leadership is also commiting itself to preserving the social and economic system and the way of life of Hong Kong? I ask this question because Peking last year explicitly made such a commitment to Taiwan, yet such a commitment to Hong Kong was not clear in last Friday's joint statement?
P.M.
I don't think I can go beyond what was in the communique: if you look at the amount of time that we were discussing these matters, I think you'll understand that we could. not get into details because bearing in mind that I was two hours with Premier Zhao, taking out the translation time that is in effe one hour, and 24 hours with Chairman Deng, taking out the translation time of 14 hours, I think you will realise that one could not get into details but I'm absolutely certain that their aim is to maintain stability and prosperity. Exactly how we will do that is a matter that we must discuss in the talks, but bearin in mind that I shall probably be with you for 45 minutes, and I
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