O
FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 1993
GOVERNOR:
NO, IT DOESN'T. AS I HAVE EXPLAINED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THIS AFTERNOON. THE WORDS I USED WERE NOT CASUALLY PLUCKED OUT OF THE ETHER, THE WORDS I USED WERE VERY CAREFULLY USED, WERE VERY CAREFULLY CONSTRUCTED. I THINK IT IS CONCEIVABLE THAT IF TALKS TAKE PLACE THERE MAY BE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE RELEVANT UNDERSTANDINGS AND AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. I HOPE THAT DISCUSSION DOESN'T TAKE TOO LONG BECAUSE I'D VERY MUCH LIKE TO SEE THE NEGOTIATIONS MAKE VERY RAPID PROGRESS BUT THERE MAY BE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ALL THE WORDS PRETTY WELL IN THAT PHRASE, INCLUDING RELEVANT UNDERSTANDINGS AND AGREEMENTS AND YOU MAY BE AWARE OF THE FACT, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER MAY BE AWARE OF THE FACT, THAT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES OF OPINION ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THOSE WORDS MEAN. ONE OF THE UNDERSTANDINGS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IS THAT WE SHOULD DISCUSS THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS AND I WILL BE DELIGHTED IF FOUR MONTHS AFTER I CALLED FOR SUCH DISCUSSION, WHEN I SPOKE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MONTHS AFTER I WENT TO PEKING AND SAID THAT I WAS VERY HAPPY TO HAVE SUCH DISCUSSIONS, I WILL BE VERY HAPPY IF THOSE DISCUSSIONS COMMENCE. BUT I REPEAT WHAT I SAID EARLIER, ALAS, I'M NOT ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THE BEGINNING OF TALKS THIS AFTERNOON. I HOPE THAT THE REMAINING ISSUES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING BETWEEN US CAN BE RESOLVED SWIFTLY BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE CAN DELAY INDEFINITELY THE GAZETTAL OF LEGISLATION AND THE PUTTING IN PLACE OF SENSIBLE ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994 AND 95
ELECTIONS.
MR K.K. FUNG (THROUGH INTERPRETER): ANSWERED MY QUESTION, MR GOVERNOR.
I'M AFRAID YOU HAVEN'T
GOVERNOR:
THE
THE
AND
WELL, I'VE GIVEN ANSWER TO THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN THAT I'M GOING TO GIVE IT то HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN. I THINK IT IS A PERFECTLY ADEQUATE ANSWER I'M SORRY THAT THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN DOESN'T AGREE, BUT IF THE HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN WISHES TO FOLLOW UP ANY PARTICULAR POINTS IN HIS QUESTION WHICH HE DOESN'T THINK THAT I HAVE ADEQUATELY ANSWERED, I'LL BE VERY HAPPY TO HEAR FROM HIM AND WILL RESPOND EITHER IN PUBLIC OR IN PRIVATE, WHICHEVER HE WOULD LIKE.
PRESIDENT:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH
10 MARCH,
STANDING ORDERS I NOW ADJOURN THE SITTING UNTIL WEDNESDAY 1993.
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