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FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 1987
SIR DAVID: THE APPOINTMENT OF A GOVERNOR IS AT THE QUEEN'S
PLEASURE. THAT'S NORMAL FOR ALL GOVERNORS. AT THE MOMENT, QUITE FRANKLY, I'M THINKING NOT SO MUCH ABOUT HOW LONG I MAY BE GOVERNOR BUT THE FACT THAT I'VE NOW GOT TO START THE PROCESS. SO I'M THINKING OF THE BEGINNING OF IT, NOT OF THE ENDING OF IT. SO FAR AS THE JLG IS CONCERNED, OF COURSE, I HAVE TO NOW GIVE UP MY POST AS SENIOR REPRÉSENTATIVE ON THE BRITISH SIDE. NO DECISION HAS YET BEEN MADE ABOUT WHO SHOULD REPLACE ME IN THAT JOB. I HOPE A DECISION WILL BE TAKEN SOON AND WHEN THAT DECISION IS TAKEN THERE WILL BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT IT.
LA TING-YIU (HKEJ): SIR DAVID, SIR EDWARD YOUDE ONCE SAID YEARS AGO THAT HE WAS REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE CHINESE. WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU WILL REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THE BARGAINING WITH THE CHINESE IN THE FUTURE, OR WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU ONLY REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE UK GOVERNMENT?
SIR DAVID: I THINK I WOULD AVOID USING EITHER OF THOSE PHRASES.
SAID EARLIER THAT BEING APPOINTED GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, I HOPE, SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, SO THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO TRY TO REPRESENT TO LONDON THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AS FAR AS PEKING IS CONCERNED, THERE ARE OF COURSE MANY CHANNELS IN WHICH A DIALOGUE GOES ON WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, MOST NOTABLY OF COURSE THROUGH THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING. BUT THERE IS A DIALOGUE ON VERY MANY CHANNELS, AND THOSE INCLUDED, RECENTLY, A NUMBER OF VISITS TO PEKING WHICH SIR EDWARD YOUDE MADE. I WOULD HOPE IN DUE COURSE TO BE ABLE TO CARRY ON THE PROCESS THAT HE ESTABLISHED AND TO CONTINUE THE SORT OF CONTACTS WHICH HE HAD.
SIMON FUNG (RTHK): SIR DAVID, THERE ARE CONCERNS IN HONG KONG
SAYING THAT YOUR RANK IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE MAY NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH TO FACILITATE DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS WITH TOP CHINESE OFFICIALS. HOW WILL YOU REACT TO THAT?
SIR DAVID: IT'S A SLIGHTLY ODD PROBLEM, IF IT IS A PROBLEM.
I THINK MY RANK. I HOPE MY RANK NOW IS THE RANK OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT THE RANK OF GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG OPENS ONE OR TWO DOORS IN VARIOUS PLACES IN THE WORLD.
LEE YUK-LIN (ATV): IN 1981. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD PASSED
A NEW NATIONALITY ACT SO AS TO STOP THE INFLUX OF HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BRITAIN, WELL, AT THAT TIME YOU WERE THE POLITICAL ADVISER OF HONG KONG. MY QUESTION IS, WAS THIS YOUR ADVICE TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND DO YOU THINK BY THIS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DIDN'T TAKE ITS FULL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE?
/SIR DAVID :