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13.
I think, if I may say so, that if members of this Council want this city to retain its international reputation, to retain its links with other communities overseas, then they should be aware of the importance of protecting the consular facilities of other communities here in Hong Kong. I don't wish to relate this comment to conduct by any honourable members, or to any particular incident, but I do think that it's particularly important for those who make the laws to abide by the laws in a full hearted spirit.
Now let me turn to the second of the honourable gentleman's questions. The policing of every event while I'm Governor will be entirely a matter for the Hong Kong police and it will be a matter for the judgement of the Commissioner of Police, operating within the law, operating according to the Bill of Rights, exactly how any operations under his command are carried out. I have not, am not today, and will not give the Commissioner of Police any instructions about how to do his job. We have an outstanding police which is extremely well led and as far as I'm concerned, that is the end of the matter. I wouldn't instruct the Commissioner of Police how to do his job, any more than I would seek to intervene in the affairs of the Attorney General's Department and his independent decisions.
Now let me go on from that. It is the case that before the meeting at the Convention Centre we had representations, as one might have expected, from Chinese officials about the importance of security during the visit to Hong Kong of Mr Qian Qichen and Director Lu Ping. I hope that they will realise that they don't really need to advise us of matters like that. Provided we know when guests are coming, we will do everything possible to look after their security. But it's not surprising that they got in touch with us because exactly the same would have happened if we'd been having the Secretary of State from the United States or the Canadian Prime Minister or other distinguished visitors. They would've got in touch with us as well, but we would of course of said to them you can trust us, you can leave it to us and that's exactly what we say to representations from China.
So any policing of any demonstration over the coming months will be determined by our police, operating under their own command and not being subjected to political influence or political pressure from anyone.
One last point, I very much hope that people in Hong Kong will continue to exercise their freedoms in the mature and responsible way which has characterised expressions of public concern, sometimes public grief, sometimes public anger, over the years. I think that the rest of the world should be impressed by the mature and moderate and restrained and responsible way in which a community which has faced some very substantial issues in the last few years, has discussed those issues and occasionally has protested and demonstrated about those issues.