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Transcript of the Governor's media session
The following is the transcript of the media session given by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten after the ExCo Meeting this (Tuesday) morning:
Governor: Good morning, let me save you the trouble of coming to the airport after lunch. As you know, I am going this afternoon on a short visit to Japan and the principal purpose of the visit is to take part once again in the Hong Kong Japan Business Co-operation meetings. These are annual discussions between Hong Kong and Japanese businessmen and I think they have been a useful feature of our economic and trading relationship with Japan. I will also be speaking at a number of other forums including one in Osaka to promote investment in Hong Kong and trade with Hong Kong. While I am in Japan, I will be seeing the Prime Minister Mr Hashimoto and other senior ministers principally the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for MITI for Trade and Industry and the Finance Minister. I will also be seeing the Speaker, senior members of the Keidanren and giving a number of interviews and speeches, so I have got a busy programme for four days and I am back on Sunday.
Question: Have you been pleased by the police officers, by the fire servicemen about the initial finding of the cause of the fire in the Garley Building.
Governor No. we had a briefing this morning from the Secretary for Security and the Secretary for Health and Welfare but we have not yet had any conclusions from the initial investigation by the Fire Services. As I said in the Legislative Council last week, we have asked the Director of the Fire Services to let us have his report within a fortnight and that he will of course be willing to do. I was able on behalf of the Executive Council this morning to thank very warmly the emergency services and the health and welfare services for the way they coped with that appalling disaster. The Executive Council underlined that gratitude and we also of course extended once again our condolences to all those families who have lost loved ones
Question: What about the SAR passports? Is Japan accepting SAR passports?
Governor: Japan is one of those countries which has a fairly tight visa regime. The principal task while I am in Japan will be to encourage the Japanese to ensure that SAR passports are treated differently from, and more favourably than, PRC passports. We would like them to be at least treated as well as BNO passports or BDTC passports today That is in effect to give people, if they need a visa, a multiple visa over a longer period of time rather than just a single visa but Japan is a country like Australia, like the United States which has a pretty tough visa policy as a whole.
Question: Only a few can... of the senior expatriate civil servants last week. The Court of Appeal simply ruling in favour of the senior expatriates. What would be the response from the Government to that verdict?