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Transcript of the acting Governor's media session
Following is the transcript of the remarks (English) made to reporters by the acting Governor, Mrs Anson Chan, after visiting the Highways Department this (Thursday) afternoon:
Question: Why was the meeting between you and Liu Zhenwu cancelled?
Acting Governor: This is a working visit like previous military visits. The arrangements have been made through the Joint Liaison Group on both sides. And the last visit by General Liu was very successful. I'm sure this one will be equally successful. The main purposes of these visits are of course to give the Chinese side - General Liu and his colleagues - a better understanding of how the Government operates and in particular how the British garrison operates in Hong Kong. I'm afraid that on this occasion there won't be an opportunity to meet with General Liu, but I'm sure he will be visiting Hong Kong quite regularly in future and I'm sure that at some time soon we will meet.
Question: (on guidelines issued to civil servants)
Acting Governor: Several points I want to make. First of all I think the important thing from the civil service point of view and from the wider community's interest point of view is that we maintain the political neutrality of the civil service. What we attempt to do within the civil service is to strike a proper balance
it's not an easy balance to strike -- but I think we've got the balance just about right between the rights of individual civil servants and the public interest. I'm particularly keen not to place civil servants in an invidious position; I'm particularly keen to avoid any potential conflict of interest. The guidelines that we have issued have of course applied ever since 1990 I believe, so they are nothing new. And on the whole judging from the comments of those groups involved, I would just repeat that I think we've got the balance about right.
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