N
YOUR SECOND QUESTION, GOING ON TO CHINA. I HAVE NOW MADE A TRIP TO CHINA IN SEPTEMBER. 1 AM GOING THIS TIME ΤΟ GUANGZHOU, SHANGHAI AND PEKING. THE ORIGINAL REASON FOR THE TRIP WAS ΤΟ OPEN A T.D.C. OFFICE IN SHANGHAI AND ON TO THAT I HAVE ADDED A SHORT VISIT TO PEKING AND ALSO TO START WITH A SHORT VISIT TO CANTON. WHENEVER I GO ON A TRIP OF THIS SORT, I BRIEF EXCO IN GREAT DETAIL ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING. IT WOULD NOT, FRANKLY, BE EASY то BRIEF THE WHOLE OF LECCO ON EVERYTHING THAT I AM DOING. I MEET THE PRESS WHEN J RETURN AND ANSWER QUESTIONS BUT I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY USEFUL TO GO THROUGH A DETAILED DE BRIEFING SESSION WITH THE WHOLE OF LEGCO. THE IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT I SHOULD BRIEF IN GREAT DETAIL ALL THE MEMBERS OF EXCO.
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CLAUDIA MO, OF AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE; SIR, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. THE FIRST ONE IS HOW MUCH LONGER DO YOU THINK WE CAN MAINTAIN THIS DOLLAR LINK? AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, IS IT TRUE THAT MR FORD'S TIGER TALK IS AIMED AT MAINTAINING MORALE WITHIN HONG KONG'S CIVIL SERVICE?
H.E.! IT SEEMS TO BE A SPECIALISATION IN LINKED OR UNLINKED DOUBLE QUESTIONS! LET ME AGAIN TAKK THOSE TWO IN ORDER. WE DO INTEND TO MAINTAIN THAT LINK. NORODY CAN PREDICT EXACTLY WHAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN 10 YEARS' TIME WILL AR. THE IMPORTANT POINT WE HAVE NO INTENTION AT THE MOMENT OF SHIFTING THAT LINK.
F
ECONOMIC 1S THAT
BELIEVE OF WHAT
YOUR SECOND POINT, WHAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID, J DO THAT HE WAS CONCERNED THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE FELT THAT MUCH IT WAS DOING HAD BEEN UNDER ATTACK AND IT WAS THEREFORE RIGHT FOR HIM TO ANSWER CRITICISMS BUT THERE IS MORE TO IT THAN THAT, I SUGGEST. WE ARE A SOCIETY IN WHICH PROPLE DEBATE ISSUES AND IT' IS QUITE RIGHT THAT THEY SHOULD DO SO. IT IS ALSO RIGHT THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT IS UNDER CRITICISM THEN THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ANSWER BACK AND THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT HE WAS DOING. THERE IS OF COURSE NO INTENTION WHATSOEVER TO TRY TO SUPPRESS CRITICISM. CRITICISM, PARTICULARLY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM,
SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY USEFUL FOR A GOVERNMENT AND A GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALWAYS TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, IT IS. HOWEVER, RIGHT BELIEVE, THAT JE CRITICISED, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THESE CRITICISMS.
WELL
WOULD YOU GOVERNMENT'S
DANNY LO, OF THE HONGKONG STANDARD: SIR, I UNDERSTAND YOU BE ATTENDING ONE TOBACCO SPONSORED EVENT IN CHRISTMAS. HOW RECONCILE YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THE INVITATION WITH THE STANDING POLICY OF AGAINST SMOKING? AND, AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE POSED THREE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ON OUR NOVEMBER 19 ISSUK OF
HAVE
THE FIRST
THE PAPER. ALL OF THEM ARE SHORT QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED
YOU THE INVITATION HAD YOU KNOWN ABOUT SPONSORSHIP? THE SECOND QUESTION BEING,
THE TOBACCO DO YOU APPROVE SPONSORSHIP OF CULTURAL FVENTS AND, IF NOT, WOULD
OF TOBACCO YOU TOBACCO SPONSORED EVENTS" AND THE THIRD AND
ATTEND FUTURE ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE SURE INVITATIONS ARE
WHAT FUTURES
IN
LAST CHECKED
QUESTION
OUT
18. PROPERLY
/H.E.
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