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Mr Rifkind: Ms Lau, you know perfectly well - you've been in politics long enough - you know perfectly well --
Ms Emily Lau: Not as long as you.
Mr Rifkind: You know perfectly well that Foreign Secretaries cannot give categoric assurances about hypothetical individual cases of political asylum. And you would be astonished if I was able to give any different answer to that question, so please don't misrepresent what you know is the only answer that can be given in the kind of circumstances we are discussing.
Dr Leong Che-hung: We hope you are going to be a slightly different type of Foreign Secretary.
Mr Lee Wing-tat (in Chinese): Chairman, I would like to follow up on what Mr Albert Ho has said. About the PWC's recommendations, the Foreign Secretary said that they may not be the Chinese policies. But the Vice-Directors of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office actually said that this represents the Chinese stand. Now, Mr Foreign Secretary, when you meet the Chinese leaders will you make this point to Mr Qian Qichen?
Mr Rifkind: Is your question with regard to the BORO?
Mr Lee Wing-tat (in Chinese): It's about after 1997 and whether the Chinese Government has the obligation to submit reports to the UN: and about the PWC recommendations and whether they are representing the Chinese policies. Now for these two points, will you put these across to Mr Qian Qichen? And after your visit to China will you announce the results of the discussion to the Hong Kong people?
Mr Rifkind: The question of reporting. I have already indicated to your colleague 1 believe is appropriate and that's the view that we shall express. With regard to the BORO and the Chinese Government's position, we have been in communication with the Chinese Government on this question and I am quite clear in my own mind from the communications that we have received that the Chinese Government have not reached any conclusion on the recommendation of the sub- committee of the PWC. If they have reached a conclusion, it is not one that they have informed us about or that they have made any public statement in that connection. So I believe it is important to recognise that fact. I very much hope that they will reach the right conclusion. And we will do what is within our power to encourage them to do that.