XN000022-1987-11-24 — Page 29

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ANSWER THINK HONG

H.E. IT IS A SURPRISINGLY DIFFICULT QUESTION FOR ME TO OBJECTIVELY AND I DON'T THINK I WILL EVEN ATTEMPT TO DO

50. I THAT REALLY MUST BE LEFT FOR OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING AT THE KONG GOVERNMENT OR, INDEED, LOOKING AT ME TO MAKE THEIR OWN ASSESSMENT IN. WHATEVER WAY THEY WISH. FOR ME, THESE LAST SEVEN MONTHS HAVE BEEN A TIME WHEN I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO LEARN AS MUCH AS I CAN ABOUT HONG KONG AND VISIT AS MUCH OF HONG KONG AS I CAN. BY THE END OF DECEMBER I WILL HAVE COMPLETED A PROGRAMME OF VISITING ALL THE DISTRICTS OF HONG KONG AND I WILL THEN HOPE NEXT YEAR TO GO ON ΤΟ MORK SPECIFIC AREAS. I HAVE A LONG LEARNING PROCESS TO GO THROUGH BUT THE LAST SEVEN MONTHS HAVE BEEN VERY USEFUL STARTING THERE.

JAMES TAM: ARE YOU SUGGESTING THAT YOU ARE STILL A STUDENT HỒNG KÔNG?

IN

H.E. YES, I AM.

JAMES TAM: THANK YOU, SIR.

RUBY ONG, OF WEN WEI PO: SIR DAVID, DO YOU THINK THAT MR RONALD LI HAS THE AUTHORITY TO CLOSE THE STOCK MARKET?

COMMITTEE, HAVE THE

H.E. THE SHORT ANSWER IS

YES. THE STOCK MARKET IT'S NOT RONALD LI HIMSELF, IT'S THE STOCK MARKET COMMITTEE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT. ONLY THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO DO IT. IT WAS A DECISION FOR THEM TO TAKE, NOT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE.

LARRY LEUNG, OF COMMERCIAL RADIO: SIR DAVID, DURING THE LAST TRIP ΤΟ CHINA, HAVE THE CHINESE OFFICIALS, APART FROM SAYING THAT THE POLITICAL REVIEW WAS A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, GIVEN YOU THE IMPRESSION THAT CHINA WOULD ACCEPT ANY POLITICAL CHANGES IN HONG KONG NEXT YEAR? AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT THE SURVEY REPORT. WOULD THE CHINESE

GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THAT THE SURVEY REPORT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THEIR STAND? (TRANSLATION FROM CANTONESE)

FIND

H.E. THE SECOND PART OF THAT. WILL THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IT HELPFUL то THEM. Ι CAN'T ANSWER. THAT'S THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PRESUMABLY WHO CAN ANSWER. THE FIRST. I THINK IT HAS BEEN CLEAR ALL ALONG THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS FELT CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG IN ADVANCE OF THEM PRODUCING THE BASIC LAW. AND THAT IS A POINT WHICH HAS COME ACROSS IN PUBLIC MANY TIMES. I THINK THAT IS PROBABLY THE ANSWER TO THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.

FANNY WONG, OF ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS: SIR, AFTER YOUR VISIT ΤΟ CHINA, ARE YOU PLANNING ANY VISITS TO LONDON BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR?

PAPER?

H.E.

NOT BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. NO.

FANNY WONG: WILL THAT BE BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE

A.C.