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THE WORD +CONVERGENCE+ WHICH ITSELF IS A PERFECTLY RESPECTABLE WORD HAS BEEN MUCH-ABUSED BY OVER-REPETITIONS BUT IF ONE THINKS OF IT IN TERMS OF A BRIDGE MEETING ACROSS A PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME, THEN I THINK ANYBODY APPLYING COMMON-SENSE WOULD SAY THAT THE BRIDGE OUGHT TO MEET IN THE MIDDLE AND NOT MISS.
Q:
WILLIAM FUNG, SO FINALLY YOU ARE SAYING THAT EVENTUALLY IT IS CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT?
A: I DIDN'T SAY THAT, I SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR THREE DIFFERENT SORTS OF THINGS AND I WOULD NOT LIKE TO OVER-SIMPLIFY MY ANSWER. ALL OF THOSE THREE THINGS ARE IMPORTANT. PERHAPS, TO TRY TO GET TO YOUR ANSWER, THERE IS NO STRAIGHT YES OR NO ANSWER TO THAT. ONE SHOULD SAY THAT WE ARE TRYING TO EVOLVE A SYSTEM GRADUALLY HERE WE ARE TRYING TO DO IT BY CONSULTING OPINION IN HONG KONG. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS WORKING TOWARDS DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW THEY TOO ARE CONSULTING.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL LOOK WITH GREAT INTEREST AT THE RESULTS OF THE CONSULTATION WE ARE CARRYING OUT NOW. BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR THESE TWO EXERCISES TO GO IN PARALLEL, SO THAT THE PROBLEM ABOUT HOW YOU MEET UP AT THE END OF THE DAY SHOULD BE SOLVED IN THAT MANNER.
Q: DAVID DODWELL (FINANCIAL TIMES), IT STRIKES ME THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE CRUX, THE GREEN PAPER DEBATE IS MUCH LESS TO DO WITH WHATEVER FORM OF ELECTIONS OCCUR NEXT YEAR THAN IT IS TO DO WITH MAKING SURE THAT WHEN CHINA ACTUALLY BUILDS ITS SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, THAT SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IS SHIFTED TO MEET THE BRIDGE THAT IS BEING CONSTRUCTED THIS SIDE. I.E. IT IS LIKE A COVERT EFFORT TO PERSUADE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT THEY HAVE TO BUILD THE BRIDGE THERE AND NOT WHERE THEY ARE CURRENTLY BUILDING IT.
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A: WITHOUT GETTING TOO TIED UP ON THE METAPHORS, WE CAN'T PRE-JUDGE WHAT THE SHAPE OF THE BRIDGE WILL BE OR WHEREABOUTS ON THE MAP IT WILL GO. THE WHOLE EXERCISE OF CONSULTATION IS TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHERE THE PILLARS OF THE BRIDGE ARE TO BE ESTABLISHED IN THE VIEWS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.
Q:
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BETTY LIU, TVB NEWS. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF PUBLIC OPINION DOESN'T NECESSARILY CONVERGE WITH THE CHINESE VIEWS ON THE BASIC LAW? FOR EXAMPLE IF THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HERE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE DIRECT ELECTIONS, ON THE OTHER HAND YOU HAVE DENG XIAOPING SAYING HE IS NOT REALLY FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG. WHAT WILL HAPPEN THERE?
A: IT IS NOT FOR ME TO INTERPRET CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOP ING. BUT I DON'T THINK HE SAID THAT IN SIMPLE TERMS. I THINK THAT IS WHY + SAID LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THE WORDING OF WHAT HE SAID.
THERE ARE
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