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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1994
GOVERNOR:
OCCASION WHICH ACTS
AS WE'VE DEMONSTRATED ON A PARTICULAR YOU'LL RECALL, AND ON OTHER OCCASIONS, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ENTIRELY ACCORDING TO THE LAW, ON EVERYTHING.
QUESTION:
BY
GOVERNOR, WILL THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AGREE TO ADOPT THE METHOD OF OPEN TENDER TO TENDER FOR CT10 AND CT11 AS SUGGESTED MR LU PING THIS MORNING?
GOVERNOR:
WE'LL CONSIDER THE BEST WAY FORWARD WITH CTIO AND CT11. I DON'T THINK THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG NEEDS VERY MUCH ADVICE, HOWEVER WELL INTENTIONED AND HOWEVER WELL MEANING, ON THE WAY TO ENSURE THAT COMMERCIAL DECISIONS AND ECONOMIC DECISIONS ARE TAKEN ON A STRICTLY COMMERCIAL AND ECONOMIC BASIS. THAT IS HOW THE WAY WE DO BUSINESS IN HONG KONG. THAT IS WHY HONG KONG IS SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS STORY. IT'S THE WAY WE INTEND TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE. LAST QUESTION.
QUESTION:
-
ONE
ABOUT THE SELF-CENSORSHIP IN THE MEDIA. HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE CHINESE SIDE THAT THEY WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE CHANGE IN THE LAW ABOUT THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH (INAUDIBLE) AND HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT LEGISLATION IS (1NAUDIBLE) WILL CONTINUE AFTER 1997?
GOVERNOR:
WE'RE COMMITTED TO A REVIEW OF LEGISLATION WHICH MAY HAVE AN IMPACT ON PRESS FREEDOM, PARTICULARLY ENSURING THAT IT IS BROUGHT INTO LINE WITH THE BILL OF RIGHTS. WE'VE ALREADY CHANGED OR PROPOSED CHANGES TO A NUMBER OF ORDINANCES AND WE'LL BE BRINGING FORWARD FURTHER PROPOSALS IN DUE COURSE. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANY POSITION FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DEFEND. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY IS CONCERNED ABOUT FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IN THE NEXT TWO-AND-A- HALF OR SO YEARS. WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER REASONS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT FREEDOM OF THE PRESS, I LEAVE TO THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS' ASSOCIATION, TO THE PROPRIETORS OF HONG KONG'S MEDIA AND TO PUBLIC OPINION. YOU HAVE ALL SEEN THE PUBLIC OPINION POLLS AS WELL AS I HAVE AND THAT ISN'T A MATTER ON WHICH I HAVE TO GIVE REASSURANCE, BUT OTHERS MAY FEEL SOME OBLIGATION ON THEM TO GIVE THEIR REASSURANCE.
A FREE PRESS IS ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE IN HONG KONG. I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S ANY ACCIDENT THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST OPEN MARKET ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD AND THAT WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE NUMBER OF NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER MEDIA ORGANISATIONS. I THINK THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN A PLURAL, SOCIETY. AND OF COURSE IT'S EASIER TO DO BUSINESS IN A STRAIGHTFORWARD COMMERCIAL WAY WHEN INFORMATION IS READILY AVAILABLE AND WHEN IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO COVER THINGS UP. SO I THINK A FREE PRESS IS NOT ONLY GOOD FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF HONG KONG, I THINK IT'S ALSO GOOD FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.
BYE.
NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE AIRPORT TONIGHT. BYE
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