WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1 1784
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QUESTION 29, PATRICIA PENN, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING COMMISSION: +WOULD SIR GEOFFREY SEE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE IN CONTINUATION OF THE LIAISON GROUP AFTER 2000. WOULD YOU SEE ANY USEFUL PURPOSE IN ITS CONTINUATION AFTER 2000?+
ANSWER:
+ I THINK THAT IF YOU GO BACK TO THE HISTORY OF THE NEGOTIATIONS YOU MAY REMEMBER ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE ABOUT WHAT MAY HAPPEN AFTER 1997, ON WHICH I EXPRESSED OUR CONCLUSIONS IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE GAVE ON APRIL 20, AND IT IS AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND WE HAVE REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CONTINUATION OF THE LIAISON GROUP BEYOND 1997 TO THE YEAR 2000 CERTAINLY DOES HAVE A USEFUL PART TO PLAY AND WE HAVE AGREED IT. I THINK THAT BEYOND THAT IS TO SPECULATE BEYOND THAT WHICH I HAVE DESCRIBED. BEYOND THAT WHICH I AM OFFERING.+
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QUESTION 30, LAU CHI-MAN, COMMERCIAL RADIO:
+FROM NOW UNTIL REACHING AN AGREEMENT HOW MANY ROUNDS OF TALKS WILL THERE BE?+
ANSWER:
+I CAN'T SAY PRECISELY BUT THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE GOING ON IN THE SAME BROAD WAY WITH WORK CONTINUING IN THE NORMAL ROUNDS OF DISCUSSION AS WELL AS IN CONTINUING DISCUSSIONS OF THE WORKING
I CAN'T GROUP THAT'S BEEN WORKING ALONGSIDE THE NORMAL ROUNDS. SAY PRECISELY HOW MANY THERE WILL BE.
FINAL STATEMENT BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE:
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COULD I MAKE JUST ONE COMMENT AT THE END OF THIS PRESS CONFERENCE, WHICH IS TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO THE JOURNALISTS AND NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION AND RADIO STATIONS AND MEDIA OF HONG KONG, BECAUSE DURING MY TWO VISITS WE'VE HAD TO LIVE WITH EACH OTHER, SOMETIMES TALK ING TO EACH OTHER FREELY, SOMETIMES TALKING TO EACH OTHER NOT AT ALL. YOU'VE BEEN VERY PATIENT WITH ME AND I'VE MUCH APPRECIATED THE WAY IN WHICH WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CONDUCT OUR RELATIONSHIPS, IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY OF PUTTING IT. MAY I ALSO SAY A WORD OF RECOGNITION OF THE IMPORTANCE IN THE YEARS AHEAD, NOT JUST OF THE MEDIA WHICH YOU REPRESENT BUT OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF HONG KONG, AND ALSO TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE VALUE OF THE ADVICE WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED FROM MEMBERS OF EXCO AND OF LEGCO, WHO ALL PLAY A VERY CRUCIAL PART IN SHAPING AND REPRESENTING THE OPINION OF HONG KONG AND WHO WILL ALL HAVE A CONTINUING IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY IN THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN THE YEARS AHEAD. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH INDEED.
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