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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1992
GOVERNOR :
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S GOING TO DECIDE THAT ISSUE IN THE NEXT WEEKS AND MONTHS. IT'S NOT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, WHOSE VIEWS ARE AS THEY HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED. I DON'T WISH TO PASS-THE-BUCK BUT IT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE WHICH IS DECIDED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND BY THEIR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I'VE GOT NO DOUBT THAT THE PROPOSALS I HAVE PUT FORWARD REPRESENT A MODEST AND SENSIBLE INCREASE IN THE ABILITY OF THE PEOPLE OF THIS ASTONISHINGLY SOPHISTICATED AND SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY TO RUN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS. A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL CRITICISE ME INDEED, I CAN SEE AT LEAST ONE OF THEM HERE THIS EVENING FOR NOT GOING FURTHER. NOT MANY PEOPLE WILL CRITICISE ME FOR HAVING GONE TOO FAR. BUT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS THERE WILL BE A LOT OF WHAT THE 'SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST' HAS CALLED "BACKGROUND MUSIC". EXAMPLE: NOTHING I'VE SAID IS ENCOURAGING SOCIAL TURMOIL OR INCITING POLITICAL INSTABILITY. WHAT SOME PEOPLE MAY BE TRYING TO DO IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS IS PRECISELY THAT.
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BUT I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF THIS COMMUNITY ARE VERY CALM AND VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY RELAXED ABOUT THESE ISSUES. I THINK THEY DO RECOGNISE THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO BE TREATED AS GROWN UP. I THINK THEY DO RECOGNISE THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO THE SAME RESPECT IN CONDUCTING THEIR OWN AFFAIRS IN GOVERNMENT THAT THEY GET IN CONDUCTING THEIR OWN AFFAIRS IN THE MARKET PLACE. AND I THEREFORE THINK THAT SOME OF THE OLD FASHIONED NOISES AND TACTICS THAT WE'LL GET OFF-STAGE WON'T MAKE ALL THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS, AND THAT PEOPLE WILL TAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR OWN FUTURE IN PERHAPS A MORE RELAXED AND THOUGHTFUL WAY THAN MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED A FEW YEARS BACK.
I THINK IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO BE IN HONG KONG FOR MORE THAN ABOUT FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT BEING INTENSELY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION, AND INTENSELY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT WHAT A COMMUNITY CAN DO WHEN IT SETS ITS MIND TO PARTICULAR OBJECTIVES. AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG UNDERSTAND, AND I THINK, ACTUALLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE BEYOND HONG KONG UNDERSTAND AS WELL. I DON'T WANT TO FIND MYSELF GOING BEYOND WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT TO ACHIEVE FOR THEMSELVES. I THINK, IF ANYTHING, I'M LAGGING SLIGHTLY BEHIND.
JOHN QUINN: GOVERNOR, YOU HAVE BEEN QUOTED AS AGREEING WITH WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE THAT, "SWEET ARE THE USES OF ADVERSITY". IN THE WAKE OF YOUR TRIP TO BEIJING, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT WE CAN EXPECT NEXT, AND WHEN, IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS?
GOVERNOR:
WELL, MAYBE YOU SHOULD HAVE INVITED THE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY IN HONG KONG THIS EVENING TO GIVE A SPEECH ON THE FREE PRESS, TO TELL YOU WHAT WE CAN EXPECT NEXT. LET ME TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. I'VE SAID THAT I'M VERY HAPPY TO GO ON DISCUSSING THE PROPOSALS THAT I'VE PUT FORWARD ABOUT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT THAT IT'S EASIER TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS WITH PEOPLE WHO DON'T JUST CRITICISE BUT WITH PEOPLE WHO WILL PUT ALTERNATIVES FORWARD.
/A FRIEND