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IT IS WRONG FURTHER, AND I AM REFERRING THINK TO THE ARTICLE YOU WROTE, TO SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS INTER-CONNECTION BETWEEN WHAT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED THEN AND THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT OF 1981. THAT'S QUITE SIMPLE TO CHECK, BECAUSE THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT OF 1981 GOES BACK, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, TO A GREEN PAPER IN 1977 WHICH WAS THEN PICKED UP BY THE INCOMING ADMINISTRATION. SO THAT LONG PRE-DATES THE VISIT BY LORD MACLEHOSE TO PEKING. I HOPE THAT MAKES THAT POINT CLEAR.
Q:
CAROLINE DEWHURST (ATV), YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT +CONVERGENCE+
OF THE BASIC LAW. DO YOU THINK PARTIAL DIRECT ELECTIONS CAN BE PART OF THAT CONVERGENCE?
A: WITH RESPECT, IT'S NOT ME THAT KEEPS TALKING ABOUT CONVERGENCE. I HAVE SAID SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE BASIC LAW IS A FACT OF LIFE. THE OPTIONS WHICH ARE BEING PUT FORWARD IN THE GREEN PAPER ARE, AS THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID WHEN HE WAS INTRODUCING IT IN LEGCO, THOSE ARE ALL GENUINE OPTIONS, . SO THEY ARE ALL BEING PUT FORWARD FOR DISCUSSION. MY HOPE IS
THAT BECAUSE BOTH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONSULTING PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS CONSULTING PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IN DRAFTING ITS BASIC LAW, THAT THOSE TWO PROCESSES AND THE CONCLUSIONS WILL GO IN PARALLEL.
Q: HARVEY STOCKWIN (TIMES OF INDIA): I WANT TO TAKE YOU BACK TO YOUR IMPRESSIONS, SIR. HOW DOES IT FEEL WAY INTO THE POST-COLONIAL ERA TO BECOMING A COLONIAL GOVERNOR? I WOULD LIKE TO COUPLE THAT WITH TWO ADDENDA, THAT'S THE BROAD QUESTION. SECONDLY, OF COURSE, YOU ARE THE FIRST GOVERNOR TO TAKE OVER, KNOWING THE POST-COLONIAL ERA WILL ALSO ONE DAY SOON AFFLICT HONG KONG. LAST, BUT NOT LEAST, YOU SAY THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE. DO YOU AGREE THAT MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE DURING YOUR GOVERNORSHIP TO GIVE HONG KONG'S POLITY A VIGOROUS DEGREE OF SELF-RELIANCE AND THAT THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL BUTTRESS TO THE PROSPEROUS ECONOMY TO WHICH YOUR REFER?
A:
THAT IS A SERIES OF INTER-CONNECTED QUESTIONS. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE TO BE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG IN 1987, LET ME PUT IT LIKE THAT?
J
IT FEELS A TREMENDOUS HONOUR, AND I DON'T USE THAT PHRASE LIGHTLY, TO BE ASKED TO DO THIS JOB. I CANNOT THINK OF A MORE WORTHWHILE JOB TO BE ASKED TO DO. THE FACT THAT THERE IS NOW CLARITY ABOUT THE LONG-TERM FUTURE IN A WAY THAT THERE HASN'T BEEN FOR, LET'S SAY THE LAST 30 YEARS OR SO, DOESN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR OR OF THE GOVERNMENT TO DO ITS UTMOST TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG WELL IN THE INTERESTS OF ITS PEOPLE DURING THAT TIME. THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT I BELIEVE THERE IS A LOT THAT IS STILL TO BE DONE ON THE BASIS OF AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF ACHIEVEMENT IN THE PAST.
:
/SO FAR