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THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994
GOVERNOR:
I'M GRATEFUL TO THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR THAT QUESTION. THE NUMBER ONE ITEM ON MY AGENDA FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS IS VERY CLOSE TO THE NUMBER ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT THREE, INDEED IT IS IDENTICAL, AND THAT IS TO DO EVERYTHING I POSSIBLY CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS IMPLEMENTED IN THE SPIRIT AND THE LETTER FOR 50 YEARS AFTER 1997, TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG ENJOYS AFTER 1997 THAT HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY WHICH SHE HAS BEEN PROMISED, AND TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT HONG KONG'S SYSTEM SURVIVES AND PROSPERS AFTER 1997. NOW IN PURSUIT OF THAT WE HAVE HAD, UNFORTUNATELY, A CONTROVERSY ABOUT POLITICAL ISSUES AND PERHAPS THAT CONTROVERSY HAS ALSO BEEN RELATED TO THE FACT THAT IN MY JUDGMENT, IF YOU ARE GOING TO STAND UP FOR YOURSELF FROM TIME ΤΟ TIME YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BOTTOM-LINE AND THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BOTTOM-LINE YOU VERY EASILY FIND THAT YOU SACRIFICE THE THINGS WHICH COUNT. I CERTAINLY THINK THAT IS TRUE IN RELATION TO THE POSITION OF HONG KONG,
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BUT OF COURSE THERE ARE MANY OTHER ISSUES THAT I'VE PURSUED AND THE GOVERNMENT HAS PURSUED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND THE HONOURABLE MEMBER I HESITATE TO SUGGEST THIS IS BEDTIME READING BUT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WOULD ONLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SPEECHES I'D MADE TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1992 AND 1993 AND TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THOSE SPEECHES TO SEE THAT WE HAVE ACTUALLY HAD AN EXTREMELY BROAD SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, EDUCATIONAL AGENDA AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THAT. IT HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE CROSSES THAT THE GOVERNOR BEARS THAT WHEN HE GOES TO A HOSPITAL OR A SCHOOL OR A REFUSE-TREATMENT CENTRE OR ALMOST ANYWHERE AND COMES OUT TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS FROM OUR UBIQUITOUS PRESS CORPS, THAT HE IS ASKED ABOUT THE AIRPORT OR POLITICAL REFORM BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THERE AREN'T A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES WHICH HE IS SPENDING HIS TIME WORKING ON.
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ONE OTHER QUESTION WHICH THE GOVERNOR HAS BEEN ASKED REGULARLY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS AND THAT'S BEEN ABOUT THE GOVERNOR'S INTENTIONS AND I CAN TELL YOU ONCE AGAIN
AND PERHAPS AFTER THIS, GOD BE PRAISED, I WON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION TOO OFTEN I CAME TO HONG KONG FOR FIVE YEARS, I INTEND, GOD WILLING, ΤΟ BE HERE UNTIL THE 30TH JUNE 1997. THERE WILL FROM TIME TO TIME BE REPORTS HERE AND THERE, GOSSIP COLUMNS HERE AND THERE, WHICH SUGGEST THAT I AM GOING TO DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS WHICH HAVE NEVER CROSSED MY MIND. BUT I TOOK THESE RESPONSIBILITIES ON FOR FIVE YEARS, I BELIEVE THAT FOR ME TO GIVE THEM UP BEFORE FIVE YEARS ARE OVER WOULD NOT BE THE RIGHT THING TO DO, WOULD NOT BE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD IN HONG KONG OR BEYOND AND WOULD INVOLVE ME IN BREAKING MY WORD TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THAT I DO NOT INTEND TO DO.
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MR FRED LI (THROUGH INTERPRETER): QUESTION,
SO I'VE STILL GOT A CHANCE TO ASK A
MR GOVERNOR, SO YOU'VE BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR TWO YEARS AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE NOW COME TO UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION IN HONG KONG AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU THIS; IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, CONCERNING HONG KONG'S SOCIAL MATTERS AND MATTERS RELATING TO PEOPLES * LIVELIHOOD, WHAT MAJOR PROGRAMMES DO YOU HAVE IN MIND AND WHAT PRIORITY PROGRAMMES YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT TOGETHER? I HOPE THAT YOU CAN ANSWER THIS QUESTION TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.
/GOVERNOR