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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1993
ON YOUR FIRST QUESTION, THE BUSINESS COUNCIL HAS BEEN AN EXTREMELY VALUABLE SOUNDING-BOARD FOR BUSINESS OPINION ABOUT HOW TO MAKE HONG KONG AN EVEN MORE COMPETITIVE ECONOMY. I HAVE VALUED MY EXCHANGES WITH THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OVER SUBJECTS LIKE INFLATION, THE LABOUR MARKET, EDUCATION; AND SOME OF THE PROPOSALS THAT I ANNOUNCED TODAY VERY MUCH REFLECTED THEIR VIEWS; THE ENVIRONMENT, IN WHICH THEY ARE TAKING AN INCREASING INTEREST. BUT I SUSPECT THAT IF YOU WANT THE BEST POSSIBLE COMMENT ON WHETHER WHAT I SAID TODAY ON COMPETITION POLICY REPRESENTED A SENSIBLE AND COHERENT WAY FORWARD, YOU SHOULD ASK THE CHAIRMAN OF THE CONSUMER COUNCIL, WHO I IMAGINE WILL BE EXTREMELY PLEASED BY THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT WE MADE THIS AFTERNOON.
QUESTION:
YOU HAVE TOLD US IN YOUR SPEECH THAT THE ROOM FOR MANOEUVRE IS LIMITED AND YOU HAVE SAID THAT YOU HAVE MADE A CONDITIONAL OFFER TO THE CHINESE. SO, DOES IT MEAN THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WILL NOT MAKE ANY MORE CONCESSIONS IN THE TALKS? AND IF SO, HOW COULD YOU BE CONFIDENT THAT YOU CAN FIX THE CHINESE AGREEMENT ON THE THROUGH TRAIN ISSUE?
GOVERNOR:
SAY
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO NEGOTIATE HERE. ALL I WILL IS THAT WE HAVE SHOWN OUR SINCERITY AND FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE WE HAVE AT HEART THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. WE WANT DECENT ELECTIONS. WE WANT, IF POSSIBLE, AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT AT SOME STAGE, WE WILL HEAR EQUAL INDICATIONS OF SINCERITY AND FLEXIBILITY FROM THE CHINESE SIDE.
I FIND IT A HUGE PUZZLE TO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE IS ANY DIFFICULTY OR ARGUMENT ABOUT THE THROUGH TRAIN. CHINESE OFFICIALS ARE COMMITTED TO A LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COMPOSED BY ELECTIONS IN 1995 AND IN THE YEARS SUBSEQUENT TO THAT. NOW, WHERE IN THE WORLD IS THE PATH TO DEMOCRACY, OUR ELECTIONS, POSITED ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE TOLD BEFORE THE ELECTION THAT THEY ARE GOING ΤΟ BE UNDESIRABLES? EVERYBODY HAS OBJECTIVE CRITERIA; WE HAVE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA NOW. YOU COULD GET ELECTED TO THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND REFUSE TO TAKE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OATH OR REFUSE TO TAKE THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE, AND YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO TAKE YOUR SEAT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THAT IS OBJECTIVE CRITERIA. BUT WE DON'T SAY, "WELL, WE DON'T LIKE X, Y AND Z, BECAUSE WE DON'T LIKE THEIR OPINIONS, WE DON'T LIKE THEIR JUDGMENTS, WE DON'T LIKE THE CUT OF THEIR JIB, WE DON'T LIKE THEIR TAILOR." I MEAN, WHAT HAS THAT TO DO WITH OBJECTIVE CRITERIA? WHY CAN THERE BE AN ARGUMENT ABOUT SUCH A VERY SIMPLE MATTER? VERY SIMPLE FOR EVERYONE WHO SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION AND MEANT WHAT THEY SIGNED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.