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SIR GEOFFREY: AGAIN, AS YOU KNOW, 1 DON'T, NOR CAN ANYONE ELSE, COMMENT ON THE VIEWS ATTRIBUTED TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE NEWSPAPERS. THE REVIEW WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED NEXT YEAR IS TAKING PLACE, AS 1 SAID IN MY STATEMENT, FULLY, GENUINELY AND GIVING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FULL ACCOUNT TO BE TAKEN OF THE VIEWS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AND IT IS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE REVIEW THAT WE SHALL REACH THE TIME FOR TAKING DECISIONS ABOUT IT.
QUESTION: HOW CAN WE BE ASSURED THAT THE PUBLIC OPINION YOU COLLECT THROUGH THE GREEN PAPER ON POLITICAL REFORM IS GENUINE?
SIR GEOFFREY: BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENT OF THAT PUBLIC OPINION WILL TAKE ACCOUNT OF ALL THE MANY WAYS IN WHICH IT IS EXPRESSED, INCLUDING THE EXPRESSIONS OF OPINION BY MEMBERS OF LEGCO AND THAT HAS BEEN THE POSITION IN THE PAST AND IT IS IMPORTANT THAT IT REMAINS SO IN THE FUTURE.
QUESTION: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK MY QUESTION IN CHINESE. APART FROM RELYING ON OMELCO MEMBERS SITTING ON THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE ARE THERE ANY OTHER WAYS TO ENSURE CONVERGENCE? AND SECONDLY, OMELCO MEMBERS HAVE VISITED BRITAIN TO DISCUSS ON THE POLITICAL REVIEW QUESTION. IN YOUR OPINION WHAT IS THE VIEWPOINT OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THE POLITICAL REVIEW? AND THE THIRD POINT IS THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE IS BEING STRESSED? UP TO THE PRESENT MOMENT THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE HAS NOT REVIEWED THE ROLE OF EXCO.
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS THERE, I THINK. THE LAST ONE SOUNDED TO ME LIKE A STATEMENT ON WHICH I CAN'T COMMENT. IT WAS A STATEMENT OF FACT AND THERE IS NOTHING FOR ME TO SAY ABOUT THAT. THE SECOND ONE WAS WHAT IS OUR VIEW OF THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON THE QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE AND REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THAT AGAIN IS A QUESTION ON WHICH IT IS NOT RIGHT TO EXPRESS A VIEW AT THIS STAGE. THE DISCUSSIONS ARE STILL TAKING PLACE, THERE IS OBVIOUSLY STILL A WIDE RANGE OF OPINION IN HONG KONG ABOUT THESE AND OTHER MATTERS. AND THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION IS TAKING PLACE IN ORDER FOR THAT TO BECOME CLEAR. ON THE GENERAL QUESTION OF CONVERGENCE I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT IS ABOUT AND WHY IT IS IMPORTANT. WHAT WE ARE ALL CONCERNED TO ACHIEVE IS THE OBJECTIVE DESCRIBED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION, NAMELY A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF POWER IN 1997. IT IS THEREFORE IMPORTANT THAT EVERY AVAILABLE MEANS SHOULD BE USED TO ACHIEVE THAT. THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IS ONE OF THE AGENCIES AVAILABLE TO HELP THAT: THE DISCUSSION THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, INCLUDING REPRESENTATIVES FROM HONG KONG, IN THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE IS ANOTHER WAY OF ACHIEVING THAT: CONTINUING CONTACTS OF A FORMAL AND INFORMAL KIND BEYOND THAT. INCLUDING CONTACTS BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY OPPOSITE NUMBER IN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS AN ADDITIONAL WAY OF HELPING TO ACHIEVE THAT. THINK AS THE GOVERNOR SAID IN HIS SPEECH LAST WEEK BOTH HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL BE ALIVE AT ALL TIMES TO THE CONCERNS AND VIEWS OF THE OTHER AS WELL AS TO THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND I ECHO HIS WORDS: +THIS IS THE BEST FORMULA FOR MAINTAINING CONFIDENCE AND ENSURING A SMOOTH TRANSFER OF GOVERNMENT IN 1997.+
/UESTION: ACCORDING