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TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1994
J
IN
QUESTION: THE DISASTER RELIEF FUND HAS JUST CONCLUDED ITS MEETING HONG KONG. WOULD YOU BE KEEN TO ENSURE THAT THE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS DONATIONS TO RWANDA AT THIS TROUBLED TIME?
GOVERNOR : I THINK THAT THERE WILL BE A HUGE AMOUNT OF SYMPATHY FOR THAT PARTICULAR CAUSE IN HONG KONG AND I AM SURE THAT THEY WILL CONSIDER VERY SYMPATHETICALLY THE REQUIREMENTS OF RWANDA. IT IS AN ISSUE WHICH HAS TOUCHED THE WORLD'S CONSCIENCE AND HAS OBVIOUSLY TOUCHED THE CONSCIENCES OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AS WELL.
QUESTION: ARE YOU GOING TO SEE TONY BLAIR WHILE YOU ARE HERE?
GOVERNOR: NO, I AM NOT GOING TO ON THIS VISIT, BUT I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HIM ON A FUTURE VISIT. WHILE HONG KONG IS IMPORTANT FOR THE LABOUR PARTY AS FOR OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES, I WOULD JUDGE THAT MR BLAIR HAS OTHER PRIORITIES ON HIS BOOK IN HIS FIRST WEEK AS LABOUR LEADER.
I AM GOING TO SEE JACK CUNNINGHAM TOMORROW WHO IS THE SHADOW FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN IN THE LABOUR PARTY AND I WILL OF COURSE SAY DURING MY MEETING WITH JACK THAT, WHEN IT IS CONVENIENT FOR TONY BLAIR, I WOULD LIKE TO MEET HIM AGAIN AND TELL HIM AT FIRST HAND WHAT OUR VIEWS ARE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG KONG.
QUESTION:
YOU HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM SEVERAL TIMES
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GOVERNOR:
I KNOW HIM PRETTY WELL. ON THE WHOLE I HAVE GOT TO KNOW HIM IN THE WAY THAT ONE GETS TO KNOW MEMBERS OF ANOTHER PARTY BY DOING PROGRAMMES LIKE QUESTION TIME AND DEBATES WITH HIM, BUT I DO NOT KNOW HIM AS MUCH AS, FOR EXAMPLE, JACK CUNNINGHAM, WHO WAS MY SHADOW FOR SOME TIME, AND YOU ESTABLISH QUITE A CLOSE PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP
IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES. I DO NOT KNOW HIM AS WELL AS I KNEW BRYAN GOULD, WHO WAS NOT ONLY MY SHADOW, BUT I WAS AT UNIVERSITY WITH HIM ON THE SAME STAIRCASE AS I THINK YOU KNOW. I HAVE MET HIM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AND DEBATED AND DISCUSSED MATTERS WITH HIM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.
QUESTION: ON HONG KONG?
GOVERNOR: I AM SURE THAT HE WILL BE AS GOOD AND SENSIBLE CUNNINGHAM HAS BEEN ON HONG KONG, YES.
AS JACK
CONSENSUS SUBJECTS
WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT THERE IS PRETTY MUCH A ACROSS BRITISH POLITICS ON HONG KONG AND THERE ARE NOT MANY ON WHICH YOU COULD SAY THAT. I REGARD THAT AS A SOURCE OF CONSIDERABLE STRENGTH. IT IS IMPORTANT, SO FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO KEEP IT LIKE THAT OF HONG KONG. THERE MAY WELL BE DIFFERENCES ABOUT DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF POLICY FROM TIME TO TIME. BY AND LARGE THERE IS
A REMARKABLE AND CONSIDERABLE DEGREE OF CROSS-PARTY SUPPORT ON HONG KONG AND I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
BECAUSE
I DID NOT WANT TO ASK MR BLAIR FOR A MEETING THIS WEEK HE HAS ONLY JUST BECOME LEADER AND HE HAS MANY OTHER THINGS ON HIS BOOK, BUT I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO SEE HIM IN THE FUTURE AS I SAW JOHN SMITH IN THE PAST.
QUESTION: HAVE YOU ANYTHING TO SAY ON THIS REPORT AT 16 SPECIAL BRANCH OFFICERS HAVE NOT BEEN GRANTED BRITISH PASSPORTS?
GOVERNOR:
I WILL READ MY COPY OF THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST WITH INTEREST AND READ THE REPORT. THANK YOU,
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