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Governor: I don't have any fear about discussions which will be held here in Hong Kong between Hong Kong civil servants and those who will be their colleagues after 1997, officials who have an interest in Hong Kong in parts of the Chinese government. I don't think anybody has any fear about that. We did have some anxieties about some of the proposals which you'll recall were being put earlier in the year, but I'm glad that they've now been put on one side.
Question: Mr Patten, come back to LegCo, you say that the British Government has set out a position before. Also the Chinese Government has set out its position before, and indeed for should the two sides talk about it and why don't you think that... should have been brought up by the British ...
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Governor: The British Government made plain yesterday its total support for the approach that we've taken right across the board in Hong Kong. I think that you'll recall that we, with great patience, tried during 160 hours of talks in 1993 to find a way in which we could reach accommodation with Chinese officials. Alas, that didn't prove possible. The proposals themselves were agreed by the Legislative Council here in Hong Kong. They were deliberately designed to be fair, open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong and they are as we demonstrated two or three weeks ago. So I hope that Chinese officials will recognise that one of the best ways of giving reassurance to Hong Kong will be recognising and talking to those who represent the people of Hong Kong and represent the people of Hong Kong as I am sure they will very responsibly in the Legislative Council.
Question: Do you agree with what the democrats said, the more communication with the Chinese side with the senior officials of Hong Kong, the greater influence of the Chinese Government on Hong Kong Government's administration?
Governor: I think that any legislators who are concerned about the proposals on trying to get a smooth transition from the civil service, should themselves talk to civil servants. I think they will find that there is a very wide measure of support within the civil service for the approach that we've taken for discussions which will take place under our auspices, here in Hong Kong and will enable civil servants in the Hong Kong Government to get to know those that they will be working with in parts of the Government in Peking.
Question: Still no word on meeting between you and Mr Lu Ping. Will these agreements actually replace the need...