XN000022-1983-07-07 — Page 16

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QUESTION: DO YOU REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?

H.E.: INDEED I REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WHO ELSE

WOULD I REPRESENT?

QUESTION: CHINA SAYS THAT IT DOESN'T WANT.......

H.E.: I DON'T THINK WE CAN HAVE A DEBATE PETER, I THINK WE'LL

HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, DID THE EXCO DELEGATION ALSO OFFER OTHER SUGGESTIONS IN ADDITION TO THE OPINIONS OF THE PEOPLE HERE?

H.E.: SORRY

QUESTION:

-

?

DID THE DELEGATION ALSO OFFER OTHER SUGGESTIONS IN BRITAIN IN ADDITION TO WHAT THEY HAVE DONE, I MEAN WHAT THEY HAVE OR YOU HAVE JUST SAID ABOUT THE IR REPRESENTING THE PEOPLE'S VIEWS HERE?

THE PURPOSE OF THEIR VISIT WAS TO REPRESENT TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

H.E.:

NO

QUESTION:

H.E..

CAN YOU TELL ME WHETHER YOU SEE A LARGER ROLE FOR EXCO IN FUTURE CONSULTATIONS WITH THE HONG KONG PEOPLE?

I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY QUESTION OF THE PEOPLE IN EXCO LOSING TOUCH WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE ONE THING ABOUT HONG KONG IS THAT IT IS NOT A VERY LARGE PLACE, AND THEY ARE IN TOUCH WITH A VERY WIDE - AT LEAST, THE WHOLE OF EXCO IS IN TOUCH WITH A VERY WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE ALL THE TIME, SO I SEE NO PROSPECT

QUESTION 1 DO YOU SEE A BIGGER ROLE OF EXCO IN FUTURE?

H.E.:

NO, I THINK THE ROLE WHICH THEY ARE ALREADY PLAYING IS A VERY CLOSE ONE AND THERE IS A CLOSE AND CONTINUING CONSULTATION. WE HAVE ALREADY REACHED THAT STAGE.

QUESTION:

H.E.:

THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO, THAT ANY STATEMENTS ON THE DETAILS OF THE TALKS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND YOURSELF WOULD BE MADE IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WHEN CAN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG LOOK FORWARD TO SOME SORT OF STATEMENT FROM YOURSELF OR THE CHIEF SECRETARY IN LEGCO ON DETAILS OF THE TALKS?

WELL, WE HAVEN'T YET REACHED THAT POINT. I THINK ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR, THE ONLY STATEMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE IS THE OPENING OF THE NEW AND SECOND PHASE, SO WE HAVEN'T YET REACHED THAT POINT AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO SPECULATE ON WHEN WE WOULD.

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