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Governor: Let me deal very directly with that question and perhaps excessively honestly because I think you have expressed in a very clear way the moral dilemma which many people feel. Usually, when Britain has left a colony that colony has become an independent country. That option, because of the history of Hong Kong and China, was never available in Hong Kong, so we are in a situation in which a free society, as free as any society in Asia, is returning in 1997 to China from which many citizens of Hong Kong have in the past fled to China which has, despite the spectacular successes of the last few years, a different notion of freedom. That is why it is really important for us to make sure that the guarantees that were given in the Joint Declaration about one country, two systems are kept, there is a moral imperative on us to try to ensure that they were kept.
Some people say occasionally, "Oh, we must be pragmatic about it, we must be realistic about it; in 1997 whether or not the Joint Declaration is applied, is going to happen, we just have to get through without worrying too much about all these freedoms that are promised". I can't understand that argument. I think it is morally imperative that we stand up for all the things that you and others were promised when the Joint Declaration was presented to you in 1984. I am sure that 1997 will turn into a success. I think people in Hong Kong want it to be a success but they also want more reassurance that those freedoms which they value, which you value, will continue into the future.
Now as for my future, I am not, honestly, thinking beyond 30 June 1997. When I arrived here four years ago people said, "Oh, he won't stay, he will just do a year or two", and some of my critics said, "He will just put on a show and then he will be off to do something else". I said when I arrived that I would stay, God willing, until 30 June 1997. I will be here until 30 June 1997 and until 30 June 1997 I will continue to be answering questions, as I have your question this morning.
As for later, heaven knows what will happen to me but I think I will deserve a rest and there are lots of other very good people in Britain who would make much better prime ministers than me.
Question (Mr Cheung) (in Chinese): Mr Governor, recently, at the Summit for the Employment for the Disabled you have done a lot for people. But I am blind, I do not have vision, I have great difficulties in finding a job; even if I have the academic qualifications I can't get a job. I would like to propose to the Governor - I really hope that you can do this that the telephone-operators in the government should be people like me who are without vision. We do not want to be a burden to society, we want to contribute to society.