5
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994
-
GOVERNOR:
WELL, WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WE DID IT DURING THE COURSE OF THE LAST JLG MEETING AND DOUGLAS DID IT ALSO IN HIS MEETING WITH THE VICE PREMIER, THOUGH IN A MORE LIMITED WAY, IS TO SKETCH OUT FOR CHINESE OFFICIALS A WHOLE RANGE OF WAYS IN WHICH WE MAY BE ABLE TO GET MORE CRUNCHED THROUGH THE JLG OVER THE NEXT 1,000 DAYS. THAT RANGES FROM THE PROPOSAL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MORE PLENARY JLG MEETINGS TO THE I DEA THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO, AS IT WERE, SPIN OFF SOME OF THE MORE DETAILED, SOME OF THE MORE TECHNICAL JLG WORK TO EXPERT GROUPS AND IT SEEMED TO US THAT IF A PROBLEM FOR EXAMPLE, WAS A LACK OF LEGAL ADVICE IN
THOSE SORT OF EXPERT GROUPS THEN A WAY OF COPING WITH THAT WAS TO USE SOME OF THE LEGAL EXPERTISE WHICH CHINA HAS NOMINATED TO THE JLC IT'S ONLY AN EXAMPLE, RATHER THAN A PRECISE PROPOSAL OR PROPOSITION BUT SINCE IT'S RECOGNISED, AS IT WERE, IN THE SACRED TEXTS THAT THE JOB OF SOLVING TRANSITION PROBLEMS IS ONE FOR THE JLG THEN TO TRY TO LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH WE, IF POSSIBLE, ('AN PUT A PETROL IN THE JLG'S TANK AND WE HAVE EXPERTS IN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND WE HAVE TO PUT EVENTUALLY TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO GET IT THROUGH, THINKS IT WILL BE A GOOD IDEA TO USE PWC MEMBERS THEN SO BE IT. [ WAS A BIT PUZZLED THIS MORNING WHEN I THINK AN NONA OFFICIAL SAID THAT, TO INVOLVE PWC MEMBERS IN THIS WAY WOULD BE THREE-LEGGED STOOLISM AND THAT PWC MEMBERS SHOULDN'T BE INVOLVED IN DEALING WITH THESE TRANSITION ISSUES BUT I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT THE PWC WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
QUESTION:
WE'VE
GOT BIT MORE HONG KONG
EVERYTHING IF CHINA
BUT
OF MR PATTEN, MY QUESTION WAS THIS GROUP WERE HAND-PICKED BY CHINA. YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT LEGAL EXPERTS. ARE PLENTY OF OTHER BARRISTERS AND LAWYERS IN HONG KONG. WHAT THEM SPECIAL? WHAT RIGHT DO THEY HAVE TO SAY
PEOPLE
THERE MAKES
GOVERNOR:
GOOD
WELL, HINESE NEGOTIATORS AT THE TABLE DRAW ON A DEAL OF EXPERTISE AND WE WERE JUST POLITELY SUGGESTING ONE WAY IN WHICH THAT POOL COULD BE INCREASED BUT EVENTUALLY, ANYTHING
THAT IS DISCUSSED IN THE JLG HAS TO BE AGREED BY THE TWO SOVEREIGN POWERS AND IF IT INVOLVES LEGISLATION, LEGISLATION WHICH PERTAINS TO HONG KONG THEN IT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
QUESTION:
AT OF
MR PATTEN (INAUDIBLE) .. BUT NOW YOU ARE SUGGESTING THAT CHINESE GOVERNMENT CAN APPOINT PWC MEMBERS TO COME AS EXPERTS THE JLG (INAUDIBLE) TO TAKE PART IN THE TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENTS HONG KONG. HOW CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU ARE PROPOSING THIS TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND ALSO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATEDLY DEMANDED THAT THERE SHOULD BE OFFICIAL CONTACT BETWEEN
SERVANTS CIVIL
AND THE PWC BUT YOUR PROPOSAL IS EVADING THE
THAT QUESTION WITH CHINA AND YOU
THERE SHOULD
BE FORMAL NOT CONTACT BETWEEN CIVIL SERVANTS AND PWC. SO HOW CAN YOU CONVINCE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT YOUR PROPOSAL DEMONSTRATES A GENUINE DESIRE TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT?
/GOVERNOR: