Question: Mr Tung.......about the provisional legislature......?
Governor: Mr Tung knows what the position is on the provisional legislature. The whole community knows what the position is on the provisional legislature. It's no point in you trying to manufacture new arguments out of that. There is an argument which exists. You know perfectly well we've set out our view on the provisional legislature, the British Government has set out its view on the provisional legislature, the American Government has made its position clear on the provisional legislature. Other governments around the world have made their positions clear on the provisional legislature. We are not going to change our mind, but I very much hope that where there are possibilities of disagreement we can minimise those disagreements rather than maximise them. It is inevitably a consequence of dealing with these sensitive issues at press conferences like this. Sometimes arguments get maximised. It is not in Hong Kong's interest that we try to make this disagreement more substantial than it is. But I can assure you that the Hong Kong Government and the British Government are not going to change their minds on this issue.
Question: About the preparation..........?
Governor: I hope not because Mr Tung knows what the position is just as every body else in the community knows what the position is. I think I am entitled to say this much to you. For four years and a bit, you've asked me questions at press conferences like this and I told you what the situation is, I have told you what I wanted to do and I years if have gone ahead and done it. I think I have established in four and a half nothing else that the Government does what we say we will do. We have made our position abundantly plain on the provisional legislature and it is not going to change. But let me add this, long before people were talking about the provisional legislature, there exists in the Joint Declaration Article 30 under which the Chinese Government are pledged to co-operate with the British Government which is the sovereign power in Hong Kong until the 30 of June 1997. I suggest that you ask some of these questions about co-operation to the Hong Kong Macau Affairs Office and the Xinhua News Agency. Thank you very much indeed and nice to talk to you again.
End