13
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1993
THE
DR YEUNG SUM (THROUGH INTERPRETATION): THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. MR GOVERNOR, NOW IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO, ONE PARTY CANNOT TAKE A TANGO. NOW YOU SPLIT THE ORIGINAL PACKAGE TO SHOW YOUR SINCERITY то CHINESE FOR CONTINUED TALKS BUT IN THIS WAY IF THE OTHER SIDE DO APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE A SPLIT BILL, THEY WON'T TALK WITH YOU, NOT TAKE THE WHOLE PACKAGE HERE?
NOT
WHY
GOVERNOR: IT DOES INDEED TAKE TWO TO TANGO, AS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SAYS, THOUGH I SHOULD PERHAPS AVOID SAYING THAT MYSELF IN CASE IT BRINGS DOWN ON MY HEAD FURTHER DANCING EPITHETS.
WE'VE RECOGNISED WHEN CONTEMPLATING THIS COURSE OF ACTION THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING MANY WHO ARE MEMBERS OF OR WHO SUPPORT THE HONOURABLE MEMBERS PARTY, WHICH RECEIVED AS WE KNOW SUBSTANTIAL SUPPORT IN THE LAST LEGCO ELECTIONS, MANY PEOPLE WHO WILL THINK IT WRONG OF US TO SPLIT THE LEGISLATION INTO TWO PARTS. I THINK THAT IT IS RIGHT TO RUN THE RISK OF THAT CRITICISM IN ORDER TO TRY TO ACCOMPLISH A BROADER GOAL, ALBEIT ONE WHICH IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCOMPLISH. IF THE CHINESE SIDE WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE THEN WE'LL BE OBLIGED TO LOOK AT THE OTHER PARTS OF THE LEGISLATION AND TO DECIDE, AS I WAS SAYING EARLIER, WHAT TO BRING FORWARD WHICH WILL BE BOTH OPEN AND FAIR, TO USE THOSE ADJECTIVES, AND WILL COMMAND THE BROADEST BASE OF SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY AND I DON'T HAVE TO HIDE FROM THIS COUNCIL THE FACT THAT THAT WILL BE A DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING JUDGEMENT AND WE'LL HAVE TO TALK TO MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL A GOOD DEAL ABOUT THE '92 PROPOSALS, ABOUT THE CONDITIONAL CONCESSIONS THAT WE'VE MADE IN THE TALKS OR ABOUT ANY OTHER PROPOSALS WHICH MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL HAVE. WE'VE GOT TO TRY TO FIND THE BROADEST GROUND ON WHICH TO PITCH OUR TENTS AND WE'LL BE LOOKING TO CO-OPERATION FROM THE COUNCIL IN DOING THAT, NOT I REPEAT SIMPLY TOSSING IDEAS AT THE COUNCIL AND THEN DASHING OFF INTO THE DISTANCE, BUT TRYING TO WORK OUT WITH THIS COUNCIL WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THAT PRINCIPLE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG, WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF SAFEGUARDING ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS.
MR CHIM PUI-CHUNG (THROUGH INTERPRETATION): THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. MR GOVERNOR, ABOUT YOUR ANSWERS, WELL IT SHOWS THAT YOU HAVE THE ELOQUENCE OF A POLITICIAN. NOW ABOUT THE TALKS, I UNDERSTAND THAT MAYBE THERE IS NO RESULT BUT IT INVOLVES DIPLOMATIC CONFIDENTIALITY. SO FOR THE THINGS WHICH YOU HAVE JUST SAID, WILL THAT BREACH DIPLOMATIC CODES OF CONDUCT? MEANWHILE, ALSO THE COUNCIL, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DOUBTS FOR THE 94/95 ELECTIONS. THE PACKAGE IS PROPOSED BY YOU, SO YOU HAVE A DIRECT INTEREST IN IT. YOU ARE AFRAID THAT IF THERE IS AN AGREEMENT THEN YOUR PACKAGE WILL DISINTERGRATE, SO YOU DON'T AGREE THAT THEY SHOULD REACH AN AGREEMENT. YOU HAVE TO SHOW THAT YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CONFLICT OF INTEREST SO FOR ANY NEGOTIATIONS YOU SHOULD DETACH YOURSELF FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS SO THAT THE NEGOTIATIONS CAN BE CONDUCTED IN A BETTER WAY. DO YOU THINK CORRECT?
IT'S
THAN
THE
GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD BE MORE MILDLY SURPRISED IF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TOOK NO INTEREST IN NEGOTIATIONS OVER POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TERRITORY. I THINK THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WOULD BE SURPRISED, I GUESS THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD BE SURPRISED AND MY SUSPICION IS THAT DIRECTOR LU PING WOULD ALSO BE SURPRISED IF I WAS TO CLAIM THAT FROM NOW ON I WAS GOING TO GIVE UP ANY INTEREST IN SAFEGUARDING HONG KONG'S FUTURE AND IMPROVE MY BACKHAND. I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD BE WIDELY WELCOME.
/LET ME