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All I will say is that I would be happy - I would be delighted - to meet Director Lu or any of his colleagues whenever they wished.
I notice that one political party in Hong Kong, the DAB, has recently suggested that it would be a good idea if the Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office and the Governor met. It's not always the case that the DAB and I see eye to eye. I try my best. On this occasion, I totally agree with them that it would be desirable. And regardless of whether or not we were able to agree everything on whatever agenda was before us, I think it would have a considerable impact on confidence in Hong Kong and on the morale of the civil service.
So I live in gentle hope. But so long as that is not possible, then others will have to undertake those meetings and I am sure that they will carry a message from the Hong Kong Government with eloquence and spirit and will always be able to show their dedication to the interests of Hong Kong. Hong Kong people running Hong Kong after 1997 won't include the last British Governor.
Dr Tang Siu-tong: Mr Governor, let me follow up. The two Foreign Secretaries or Ministers will be meeting in the autumn. Will you have an opportunity of meeting with Mr Lu Ping or Mr Qian Qichen after the summer meeting of the two Foreign Secretaries?
Governor: I think that very much depends on Chinese officials. I'd be delighted to meet them before that summit or after that meeting but it really depends on them. It is an important meeting, important because there is a new British Foreign Secretary and I am sure that he will want to take that early opportunity of getting to know Vice- Premier Qian Qichen. There are still a number of important issues that we have to resolve. There is still too much of a log-jam in the Joint Liaison Group, despite the successes of this summer, so there will be plenty for them to talk about in areas like air service agreements, adaptation of laws, nationality issues, the civil service transition, and so on. A lot for them to discuss and I am sure that they will have - whether or not they can always agree as congenial and civilised a discourse as Mr Hurd and Vice- Premier Qian Qichen always used to have.
Mr Andrew Wong (through interpreter): Mr President, public opinion recently has been saying that the Government (Governor) is in the hot-seat. Some say that he is sitting on the bench, not playing on the field. Of course, when he adopts a high profile, he may be sitting on a hard-backed chair, but when he takes a low profile he is sitting on a soft-chair. Now Mr President, and Mr Governor and also the Secretary- General, I think that we all observe that he is sitting on a soft-chair today. Of course, that is thanks to the President and the Secretary-General. On my request, a more comfortable chair has been provided to the Governor, as we can all observe today.