JUDOVA),
1774
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QUESTION: GOVERNOR, WE NEED SOME INFORMATION BY ... USED ON A FREE IS PRESS. YOU SAID YESTERDAY THAT A FREE PRESS IS STRONGEST, WELL IT VERY IMPORTANT THAT A FREE PRESS BE ABLE TO CRITICISE GOVERNMENT. CAN NEITHER PRAISE OR CRITICISE YOUR GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE DETAILS OF EVEN THE LARGE THINGS THAT GO ON BETWEEN YOU AND CHINA. NOW QUITE APART FROM THE CONSTITUTIONAL MATTERS, WOULDN'T IT BE A GOOD THING TO TAKE HONG KONG INTO YOUR CONFIDENCE ABOUT MANY OF THE BLOCKAGES THAT EXIST IN LEGCO AND OTHER PLACES, THESE HUNDREDS OF ITEMS THAT NEED TO BE RESOLVED, AND IF THE CHINESE THINK THAT THAT WILL BE GREAT A CONFIDENCE, ISN'T THAT LIKE THEY'RE BREAKING WINDOWS AND YOU SHOULD GO AHEAD AND HAVE A SEAT BY THEM ANYWAY? ISN'T THAT THE WAY OF FREE PRESS IN FACT SHOULD BE USED? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION ?
ALL
GOVERNOR: I DIDN'T GET THE IMPRESSION FROM READING YOUR DISTINGUISHED COMMENTARIES ON HONG KONG OR READING THE MEDIA AS A WHOLE, I HOPE THAT PRAISE WASN'T TOO LETHAL, I DIDN'T GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF INFORMATION OR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NATURE OF OUR AGENDA OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. I DIDN'T HAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT HONG KONG WAS DENIED INFORMATION ABOUT ALAS THE MANY PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RESOLVE WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS BUT WE'RE IN A POSITION IN WHICH, WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ECONOMIC ISSUES OR POLITICAL, WE'RE HAPPY TO DISCLOSE MORE IF THE CHINESE SIDE THEMSELVES THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE HELPFUL AS WELL.
QUESTION: WHY WAIT FOR THEIR APPROVAL?
GOVERNOR: HOLD ON A MINUTE. BECAUSE WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS IS FOR US TO FIND SOLUTIONS IF POSSIBLE AND SOLUTIONS, IF YOU CAN MANAGE IT, ARE BEST ACHIEVED IF THE CLIMATE IS REASONABLY CORDIAL. IT ISN'T ALAS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
I
JLG
RESOLVED.
COUNCIL HAVE NO MATTERS. OF LAWS, BUSINESS,
SET OUT IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON THE FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE ISSUES WHICH REMAIN TO BE ALAS WE'VE SET OUT IN THE PAST IN SOME DETAIL FOR THE LEGISLATIVE ISSUES IN THE JLG WHICH STILL HAVE TO BE RESOLVED AND I DIFFICULTY IN PROVIDING MORE INFORMATION ON THOSE SORT OF THEY'RE PRETTY CLEAR NOW, ADAPTATION OF LAWS, LOCALISATION AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS, A GOOD DEAL OF MULTI-LATERAL BUSINESS CONDUCTED WITH OTHER COMMUNITIES, WHETHER INVESTMENT PROTECTION OR VISA REGIMES. THOSE ARE ALL MATTERS THAT WE'VE GOT TO RESOLVE BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 AND I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT BETWEEN NOW AND 1997, WE'LL HAVE CHINESE OFFICIALS PRESSING FOR MUCH MORE RAPID PROGRESS BECAUSE THEY'LL RECOGNISE THAT THAT IS IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST AND WHATEVER OUR OTHER ARGUMENTS MAY BE, I HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT DIRECTOR LU PING FOR INSTANCE, WANTS TO DO A GOOD JOB FOR HONG KONG,
QUESTION: GOVERNOR, DO YOU THINK THAT, ALTHOUGH YOU STATED THAT YOU WANTED THE TALK TO RESUME, DO YOU THINK THAT IT'S REASONABLE TO TABLE THE SECOND STAGE OF YOUR POLITICAL REFORM BILL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE FIRST STATE?
GOVERNOR: WELL, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO RESUME DISCUSSIONS AS WE WOULD LIKE THEN WE WILL HAVE TO DISCHARGE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES WITHOUT THERE HAVING BEEN AN AGREEMENT. I DON'T THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL BE SURPRISED BY THAT. WE'VE PROCEEDED IN AN ORDERLY AND SENSIBLE WAY THE PAST AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO IN THE FUTURE.
IN
/QUESTION: