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Question: (inaudible)
Governor: No, I am not saying that. And even if I were to say it, it would be, of all the things that the Governor of Hong Kong has ever said, the one which was most widely and comprehensively ignored. What I am saying is that there are others, doubtless like you, who are paid adequate salaries to speculate about the future of the world and the future in particular of China. I am a public official. I am responsible for the good government of Hong Kong. I don't think that it helps for me to speculate, with no more success, I would judge, than you would have.
It is difficult enough for me to speculate about the future of British politics without speculating about the future of Chinese politics. We all know, of course, that in the next few weeks and months all sorts of people, expert and less expert, will speculate more or less imaginatively about the future of China and we all know that many if not most of them will be wrong. And I would just prefer not to join in that speculative endeavour, and I would prefer to go on concentrating on what I know rather than can speculate about. And what I know is that Hong Kong is a terrifically successful and very decent city and that as long as we hang on to Hong Kong's values and Hong Kong's way of doing things it will remain decent and successful.
Question: (inaudible)
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Governor: I think given that 'one country, two systems' whether or not it was his intellectual invention, certainly the concept with which he was so closely associated politically - I think it is a pity that he was not able to see not just the actual transition to Chinese sovereignty but I hope in the years beyond, the successful protection of Hong Kong's system even when Hong Kong becomes in sovereignty terms part of China, just as it has been geographically part of China all along.
Question: (inaudible)
Governor: I don't think you have heard me be critical of those comments. I think what you may have done, if you have had the ill-fortune to hear many of my speeches, is hear me make exactly the same points again and again and again, as I was doing today. I have spoken consistently and I hope from time to time vigorously about the defence of Hong Kong's civil liberties over the last few years. The worry is that because of decisions taken in recent weeks, our friends in other countries our friends in other countries who wish us well have come to share exactly the same worries and anxieties which people in Hong Kong have. They are not making these things up.
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