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A: I AM NOT SURE QUITE WHICH BIT OF THE AGREEMENT YOU ARE REFERRING TO THE PART OF THE AGREEMENT WHICH IS VERY RELEVANT TO THE EXERCISE THAT WE ARE CARRYING OUT AT THE MOMENT IS THE PART THAT I REFERRED TO JUST EARLIER, WHICH WAS THAT THE LEGISLATURE AFTER 1997 WILL BE FORMED BY ELECTIONS, BUT WITHOUT DEFINING WHAT THOSE FORMS OF ELECTION SHOULD BE. AS FAR AS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, ON THE GREEN PAPER EXERCISE, THEY HAVE MADE THEIR POSITION QUITE CLEAR AND THAT IS THAT THIS IS TO BE GENUINE CONSULTATION IN WHICH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE NO PRE-CONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT THE OUTCOME. POSITION HAS BEEN MADE QUITE CLEAR.
SO THAT
Q: STEVE VINE, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WHAT THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN SAYING IS NOT WHAT IS THE OUTCOME BUT SIMPLY THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION SHOULD NOT BE MAKING SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES, THAT THOSE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES ARE IN BREACH OF THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SEEMS TO HAVE SAID NOTHING ON THAT MATTER?
A: I AM NOT TOO SURE EXACTLY WHAT STATEMENT BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT YOU ARE REFERRING TO. CAN I JUST PUT IT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CONTEXT AND THAT IS THERE IS A REAL PRACTICAL PROBLEM WHICH IS APPARENT TO EVERYBODY AND THAT IS THE BASIC LAW, DEFINING WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ON THE ELECTION OF THE LEGISLATURE IN 1997. SO THAT BASIC LAW CAN DETERMINE HOW THAT SECTION OF THE AGREEMENT WILL BE THRASHED OUT BY 1997.
SO YOU HAVE A PRACTICAL PROBLEM ABOUT HOW TO ENSURE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO 1997 THERE IS NOT A SUDDEN CHANGE OF SYSTEMS. YOU HAVE A PROBLEM OF MAKING SURE THAT THE BRIDGE MEETS ACROSS THE TIME IN JULY 1997. THAT I THINK IS A PRACTICAL PROBLEM. FAR AS CHINESE GOVERNMENT STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO CHANGES, THAT IS THE PRACTICAL PROBLEM WHICH I THINK THEY ARE REFERRING TO.
Q: WILLIAM FUNG (ATV), DO YOU THEN ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO SPEAK OUT THEIR MIND ON THE GREEN PAPER BUT WHICH IS THE MORE IMPORTANT - THE QUANTITY, THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC OPINION OR THE CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW?
A: SORRY, COULD YOU SAY THAT AGAIN? WHICH DO I THINK IS MORE IMPORTANT?
AND SO
Q: WILLIAM FUNG, THE QUANTITY, THE QUALITY OF PUBLIC OPINION OR THE CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW?
A:
J
I'VE GOT THREE OPTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, WE WANT QUANTITY OF REACTION TO THE GREEN PAPER. SECONDLY,
SECONDLY, WE VERY MUCH WANT QUALITY OF REACTION. I SAID EARLIER THAT THESE ARE COMPLEX ISSUES. I DO THINK THAT IS A VERY SERIOUS POINT, THEY ARE NOT SIMPLE ISSUES. SO ONE IS LOOKING FOR THOUGHTFUL QUALITY OF RESPONSE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE REALLY CONSIDERED THE ISSUES AND THE IMPLICATIONS. SO WE ARE LOOKING FOR BOTH OF THOSE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY OF EVOLVING THE GOVERNMENT SYSTEM IN HONG KONG WHICH WILL MEET AS A BRIDGE WHAT IS ESTABLISHED IN THE
BASIC LAW. I THINK NO SENSIBLE PERSON WOULD SAY THAT THIS CONVERGENCE OR A LACK OF CONVERGENCE WOULD BE SENSIBLE.
THE WORD