XN000022-1984-09-27 — Page 20

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984

MATTERS-

THE DEGREE TO WHICH HONG KONG CAN PARTICIPATE ON ITS OWN IN INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS WHICH DEAL WITH THESE MATTERS. SO, I WOULD EXPECT THE GOOD SENSE, SHALL WE SAY, WHICH HAS GOVERNED THESE ARRANGEMENTS AS LONG AS THE RELATIONSHIP WHICH WAS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UK, WILL CONTINUE AFTER THAT TIME. IT REALLY IS QUITE A GOOD ARRANGEMENT SET OUT IN THE DOCUMENTS, WHICH YOU HAVE, ON THE AUTONOMOUS NATURE OF HONG KONG'S REPRESENTATION OF ITS OWN INTERESTS AND THE WAY IN WHICH IT CAN PARTICIPATE IN THESE ORGANISATIONS.

Q. FONG YUEN-AH, THE NEW EVENING POST: (IN CHINESE) SIR EDWARD, BEFORE 1997, FOR THE TOP-LEVEL POSTS WITHIN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, WOULD THERE BE ANY CHANGES, OR WOULD THERE BE ANY ADDITIONS? FOR INSTANCE, WOULD THERE BE A DEPUTY-GOVERNOR?

DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES: MISS FONG OF THE NEW EVENING POST: BEFORE 1997, ARE THERE LIKELY TO BE MAJOR CHANGES IN THE HIGHER RANKS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT? IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO ESTABLISH THE POST OF A DEPUTY-GOVERNOR?

A.

THERE IS NOTHING AT THE PRESENT TIME NO PLAN AT THE PRESENT TIME TO ESTABLISH A DEPUTY GOVERNOR IF YOU MEAN BY THAT A SEPARATE POST OF DEPUTY-GOVERNOR, BECAUSE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR ALREADY HAPPENS, SIMPLY BY THE GOVERNOR GOING AWAY. BUT, NO, THERE IS NO PLAN AT THE PRESENT TIME TO CHANGE THE HIGHER RANKS OF THE GOVERNMENT. WHICH NO DOUBT WILL BE A COMFORT TO THOSE WHO OCCUPY THOSE POSTS.

Q.

CATHERINE ANTOINE, LE MATIN, PARIS: IN THE PAST TWO YEARS YOUR GOVERNMENT HAS REFUSED TO CONDUCT OPINION POLLS TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WISH FOR THEMSELVES. NOW THAT THERE IS AN AGREEMENT THE IR OPINIONS ARE BEING ASSESSED BUT THEY WON'T HAVE ANY BEARINGS ON THE FINAL DRAFT OF THIS AGREEMENT. HOW CAN WE TRUST TODAY WHEN WE READ IN THE GREEN PAPER THAT THE REFORMS ARE AIMED TO MAKE THE GOVERNMENT MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REALLY MEAN WHAT YOU SAY.

A. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY GOVERNMENT WHICH CONDUCT OPINION POLLS TO ESTABLISH THE ACCEPTABILITY OR OTHERWISE OF ITS. POLICIES. WHAT WE DO DO IN HONG KONG AND I THINK WE DO IT REMARKABLY WELL IS THAT WE HAVE AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY WE CONSULT VERY WIDELY THROUGH A VERY WIDE RANGE OF ORGANISATIONS WITH ALL SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY ON BOTH GOVERNMENT POLICY AND WE HAVE DONE OUR UTMOST OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS TO ENSURE THAT THE CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AT THE CENTRE AND IN PARTICULAR THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS AND ALL WALKS OF LIFE IN HONG KONG WERE COMPLETELY OPEN. I KNOW OF NOWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANY MORE, OR WHERE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANY EASIER, FOR PEOPLE TO MAKE THE IR VIEWS KNOWN AND, INDEED, THE VOLUME OF OPINION AND COMMENT WHICH WE HAVE RECEIVED OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN ENORMOUS. SO THAT FOR THE FUTURE THOSE CHANNELS WILL REMAIN OPEN AND ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO EXPRESS A VIEW ON ANYTHING IN HONG KONG WILL CERTAINLY HAVE A VERY FREE CHANNEL IN WHICH TO DO SO.

18. KARINA LEUNG,

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