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Question: Can I just ask you a final, final question. Will you be raising in Japan the question of the Diaoyu Islands and the incident at the Japanese Consulate.
Governor: As you know, both now and after the 30th June, 1997 the Hong Kong Government is not responsible for Foreign Affairs and Defence. So we are not in a position where it is right or appropriate for us to do other than hope that the dispute can be peacefully and rapidly settled. Japanese Ministers and Japanese public opinion are well aware of the strength of public opinion in Hong Kong. They are well aware of the fact that like Japan this is a free society where people are able to express their views strongly within the law. I am sure they are also aware of the fact that where those expressions of opinion have got out of hand or been inappropriate they have not been supported in the community so that the protest, for example, outside the Japanese schools which I think was widely criticised by some of you newspapers and by the community. They are also aware of the fact that we don't approve of any breaking of the law and that we believe we have special responsibilities to protect the buildings of Consulates here in Hong Kong. Now, out of all that, I am sure that they will recognise that while this is a community with strong views, it is also a free society and partly because it is a free society it is a very successful society in which there is a great deal of Japanese investment and with which Japan does a great deal of trade. We want that trade and investment to continue but I am sure that while continuing to welcome up to two million Japanese tourists a year, while continuing to export as much as we do from Hong Kong to Japan, people here will also go on expressing their views as robustly as ever.
Thank you very much indeed.
End
Financial Secretary's transcript
Following is a transcript of the Financial Secretary, Mr Donald Tsang's media session before leaving a hotel in Manila this (Tuesday) morning:
Question: What did you discuss (with Qian) last night?
Financial Secretary: It so happened we had about half an hour. We had half an hour together that he was free and I was free. We had a general chat. I updated the Vice- Premier on the present date economy of Hong Kong. And I also updated him on the civil service as well. We had a very general and cordial chat.