TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 1992
LET ME TELL YOU TWO THINGS WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO SECURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. FIRST OF ALL, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE AS WE BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN GOVERNMENT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, THAT IT IS PERFECTLY POSSIBLE TO HAVE AN ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT WHICH IS ALSO STRONG, DECISIVE AND EFFECTIVE. AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE POLITICAL DIALOGUE WILL TAKE THAT POINT TO HEART, IT PLACES RESPONSIBILITY ON ALL OF US. SECONDLY, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT WHAT WE ARE DOING IS SENSIBLE AND EFFECTIVE AND FAIR. AND IF WE CAN ACHIEVE BOTH OF THOSE OBJECTIVES, THEN I BELIEVE, VERY STRONGLY, THAT WE SHOULD ABLE TO CONVINCE OTHERS IN FOR EXAMPLE, PEKING AND LONDON WHAT WE ARE DOING IN HONG KONG CAN CONTINUE SMOOTHLY AND UNINTERRUPTED THROUGH 1997.
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LET ME MAKE ONE LAST POINT. WE WANT, ALL OF US WANT, A GOOD TRUSTING CO-OPERATIVE CANDID RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA. THAT'S CERTAINLY WHAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG WANTS, AND I ASSUME THAT IS WHAT CHINA WANTS AS WELL. MUCH IS GOING TO REST ON OUR RELATIONSHIP, MUCH IS GOING TO REST ON OUR MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING IN THE YEARS AHEAD. THERE'LL BE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE TO BITE OUR TONGUES ON BOTH SIDES. MINE IS ALREADY A LITTLE SHORTER THAN IT WAS WHEN I ARRIVED IN HONG KONG. THERE'LL BE TIMES WHEN WE HAVE TO TRY THAT LITTLE BIT HARDER TO UNDERSTAND ONE ANOTHER'S POINT OF VIEW. AT ALL TIMES, WE'LL HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE A CERTAIN GENEROSITY OF SPIRIT, WHICH ISN'T ALWAYS A VERY COMMON CURRENCY IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS BUT I'M SURE WILL BE IN OURS. NONE OF THAT MEANS RESILING FROM WHAT WE BELIEVE IS BEST FOR HONG KONG. IT DOES MEAN BEING PATIENT AND CAUTIOUS AND UNDERSTANDING, AS WELL AS FIRM, IN EXPLAINING WHAT WE BELIEVE IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG.
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I HOPE, GOD WILLING, TO BE THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG UNTIL 1997. I ONLY USE THE WORD "HOPE" AND THE WORDS "GOD WILLING" TRIS IS FOR THE BENEFIT OF ANY SPECULATION IN THE PRESS · BECAUSE I GO ΤΟ CHURCH ON SUNDAYS AND HAVE AN INTENSE UNDERSTANDING OF THE CONSEQUENCES OF HUBRIS IN POLITICS. SO, I SHALL BE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, WITH THOSE QUALIFICATIONS, UNTIL 1997, AND I INTEND ΤΟ ACT DURING THAT PERIOD, DURING THAT ENTIRE PERIOD, WITH THE AUTHORITY WHICH IS INCUMBENT UPON ME AS GOVERNOR. I ONLY HAVE ONE AGENDA, I ONLY HAVE ONE AIM, I ONLY HAVE ONE BOTTOM-LINE, AND THAT IS TO WORK FOR THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG AND FOR THE FAMILIES WHO MAKE HONG KONG THEIR HOME, BOTH TODAY, AND WHO WILL MAKE HONG KONG THEIR HOME IN THE FUTURE LONG AFTER THE LAST BRITISH GOVERNOR HAS GIVEN UP THE OF AN OFFICE WHICH HE CARRIES WITH PRIDE AND ENTHUSIASM.
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