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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1994
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QUESTION: NCNA OFFICIALS
OUT THE GOVERNMENT'S VBP POLICY
HEAD TO SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES AND WANT TO PUT THE VBP ISSUE ON AGENDA OF JLG. WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THAT?
MAY
THE
NOT
GOVERNOR: WE ARE HAPPY TO DISCUSS ANYTHING THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN THE JLG OR THROUGH OTHER CHANNELS. I DO THINK THAT THOSE WHO CRITICISE SHOULD REMEMBER FROM TIME TO TIME THAT WE HAVE DEALT, AS I THINK ONE OR TWO EDITORIALS IN NEWSPAPERS POINTED OUT LAST WEEK. WE HAVE DEALT WITH AN EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ISSUE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS WITH DECENCY AND FIRMNESS. ONE RESULT IS THAT WE'VE MANAGED TO RETURN IN RECENT YEARS WITH THE AGREEMENT OF THE VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES OVER 43,000 SCREENED OUT VIETNAMESE MIGRANTS. THAT'S EASY. THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO HAVE A VERY DIFFICULT JOB TO DO. I PARTICULARLY SYMPATHISE WITH THOSE MEMBERS OF OUR CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WHO HAVE AN EXCEPTIONALLY DIFFICULT JOB AND THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT AGAIN TODAY. I THINK THE WHOLE COMMUNITY HAS REASONS TO BE GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THEY CARRIED OUT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES. SO, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SUPPORT IN CONTINUING TO DEAL WITH THE DIFFICULT PROBLEM AND THE DIFFICULT TASK AS COMPETENTLY AND AS DECENTLY AS WE HAVE BEEN. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE EASY, NOT EASY FOR ANYONE. IT'S CERTAINLY NOT A PROBLEM WHICH DISAPPEARS BY THE APPLICATION OF RHETORIC
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, A UN COMMITTEE IS GOING TO EXAMINE THE BRITISH REPORT
PEOPLE ARE WORRIED THAT IF THE REPORTING PROCESS CANNOT CONTINUED AFTER 1997, IF CHINA REFUSES TO MAKE A REPORT ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AS IT HAS CLAIMED THAT IT WOULD NOT DO
ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . DO YOU HAVE ANY OPTION THAT YOU WILL RECEIVE REPORTS FROM HONG KONG REGULARLY AFTER 1997?
BE
GOVERNOR: I THINK YOU SHOULD WAIT AND HEAR WHAT THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL HAS TO SAY WHEN HE SPEAKS IN GENEVA TOMORROW. HE IS PART OF THE DELEGATION WHICH IS ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE UN AND WHAT WE WERE DOING IN THAT CONTEXT IS DISCHARGING OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE COVENANT, AN OBLIGATION WHICH THE JOINT DECLARATION MAKES EXPLICITLY CLEAR WILL CONTINUE BEYOND 1997 AND THOSE INCLUDE, AS WE'VE ALWAYS SAID, THE REPORTING OBLIGATIONS BUT THE SOLICITOR-GENERAL'LL BE ANSWERING QUESTIONS ON HONG KONG'S RECORD TOMORROW AND WE ALSO, I IMAGINE, IF ASKED, ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER, MR QIAN, IS PLANNING TO VISIT LONDON DURING THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT YEAR. DOES THAT MEAN IMPROVEMENT OF SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP OVER HONG KONG?
GOVERNOR: I DON'T THINK THAT IT WILL BE SENSIBLE FOR ME TO COMMENT ON NEWSPAPER SPECULATION BUT WHAT 1 AM HAPPY TO DO IS TO SAY THAT I AM SURE THAT WHENEVER VICE-PREMIER QIAN QICHEN WAS HAPPY TO GO TO LONDON, HE'D RECEIVE A COURTEOUS WELCOME. HE'LL BE A VERY WELCOMED VISITOR AND I AM SURE THAT HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND WITH OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS WOULD BE CONDUCTED IN AS CONSTRUCTIVE AND CIVILISED MANNER AS WERE HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH DOUGLAS HURD AT THE UNITED NATIONS A FEW MONTHS AGO. I REPEAT, HE IS ALWAYS A VISITOR TO LONDON. ANY OTHERS? ONCE AGAİN, SORRY TO KEEP WAITING. HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
WELCOMED YOU ALL
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