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I will continue to speak up courteously but firmly for all those things which I think have made Hong Kong special like the rule of law, like the development of representative government which Hong Kong has been promised, like the defence of freedom of speech, like the defence of all those other freedoms which have made Hong Kong successful. I'll continue to argue for those things.
What I find fascinating is that some of my critics, some of my most vigorous critics want those things for themselves - that's why they've got foreign passports - but presumably don't think that Hong Kong deserves the same. I don't accept that that is a reasonable position for them to take.
Speaker: On the question of passports, Governor, in 1996, one of the issues that the British and the Chinese Governments have to deal with will be the question of passports. Some people feel that the visa-free arrangement for the SAR passport has not been granted by Britain for a long time because this is one of the chips that they want to use for discussions with China. What do you say to that?
Governor: I don't think it's a chip and I think it's too important to discuss in that context. As you will know, I've been arguing for a long time that once we had an agreement on the SAR passport which we could sell not only to Britain but to the rest of the world, as guaranteeing the integrity of the SAR passport, then Britain and other countries should agree to visa-free access for that passport. Now when I was back in London last autumn, you'll remember I was arguing among other things the case for visa-free access after an agreement for SAR passport holders. I did that in public on the television, just as I did it in private. And now that we've got that Agreed Minute, I hope that Mr Rifkind will go back and ensure that his colleagues in the British Cabinet consider the matter as soon as is reasonably possible. I think that it's important that we have visa-free access for SAR passport holders, not only in Britain but elsewhere too.
Speaker: Well, every Hong Kong person will agree with that: visa-free arrangements are very important for SAR passports. Right now, in Singapore and Australia they have already indicated that they will be making certain arrangements for SAR passport holders. Britain, however, is the sovereign country for Hong Kong now, and right now people feel that you are still hithering and thithering and you say you have to consider whether there are problems. Wouldn't it be acting inconsiderately?
Governor: First of all I'm interested in what you say about Australia. I'd seen about Singapore and I'd noticed that Australia welcomed the Agreed Minute but I didn't know that the Australians had gone as far as to say that they would give visa-free access to SAR passport holders. I think we both better check on that. I think that there have been discussions --
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