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SALLY BLYTH (RTHK): I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY GIVE TIME-TABLE AS FAR AS THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE IS CONCERNED, BUT HOW FAR DOWN THE ROAD IS IT TO ACTUALLY BEING PUT TOGETHER AND FINALISED? AND TO WHAT EXTENT ARE YOU NOW GOING TO BE ABLE TO INFLUENCE OR CHANGE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DECIDED. IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR VISIT HERE?
MR MAUDE: WELL AS I'VE SAID, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK GOING ON, AND VERY DETAILED WORK GOING ON, AND OBVIOUSLY I AM PRETTY CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THAT WORK. AS YOU WOULD EXPECT. AND THAT WORK WILL CONTINUE. OBVIOUSLY. AFTER I RETURN AND I SHALL BE ABLE TO BRING TO THAT WORK THE EXPERIENCE THAT I'VE GATHERED HERE. WHAT WAS SAID BY THE PRIME MINISTER AND SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN THE SUMMER REMAINS THE CASE. BUT WITHIN THAT FRAMEWORK THERE IS A LOT OF WORK THAT CAN BE DONE AND WE ARE ANXIOUS TO GET THE PACKAGE RIGHT.
SALLY BLYTH: HAVE YOU BEEN PERSUADED BY THE VIEWS WHICH YOU HAVE HEARD SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE THAT PERHAPS BRITAIN SHOULD BE MORE GENEROUS THAN THE PROPOSALS WHICH WERE ALREADY UNDER CONSIDERATION?
MR MAUDE: WELL, AS THE WORK IS STILL CONTINUING, WHAT I CAN SAY 15 THAT I AM SURE THAT WE ARE RIGHT TO DO THE WORK ΤΟ GET A PACKAGE WHICH IS AS GOOD AS POSSIBLE.
SALLY MAK (EXPRESS): RECENTLY, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN IS VERY TENSE. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON MANY ISSUES. HOW CAN YOU SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS?
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MR MAUDE: WELL, ONLY TIME WILL SOLVE IT, FINALLY. BUT WHAT WE CAN DO IS TO GET DOWN TO DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE
WHICH 19 GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT WEEK IN THE RESUMED TALKS IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. WE CAN CONDUCT THOSE TALKS IN A SENSIBLE, FIRM AND OPEN WAY. AND THAT WE SHALL DO.
SALLY MAK:
BUT IF THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE SOLVED, WILL THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG BE SACRIFICED?
MR MAUDE: WELL, BOTH CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM AGREED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION THAT THEY SHOULD WORK TOGETHER TO ASSURE THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG. AND WE SHALL DO THAT, AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT CHINA WILL DO THAT.
DEAN NELSON (SUNDAY MORNING POST): THE CHINESE SIDE, MAINLAND OFFICIALS HAVE SAID THAT THE OMELCO MODEL IS UNACCEPTABLE AND OMELCO MEMBERS THEMSELVES HAVE TRIED TO PERSUADE YOU TO TAKE THAT MODEL AND PUSH IT AT THE JLG MEETING. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT?
MR MAUDE: WELL. IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THERE IS A DESIRE IN THE COMMUNITY HERE FOR THERE TO BE FURTHER PROGRESS TOWARDS DEMOCRACY AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MODELS BEING DISCUSSED AND PROMOTED. I'VE STUDIED THE OMELCO MODEL CAREFULLY AND I'VE DISCUSSED IT WITH OMELCO. I'M NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF COMMENTING ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE REPORTED TO HAVE SAID FROM ELSEWHERE, BUT WE ARE CONSIDERING WHAT WE CAN DO AND WE'LL BE TAKING DECISIONS WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THAT BASIS.
/SARAH YUEN (ATV):