XN000022-1991-02-20 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1991

Q.:

A.:

GOVERNOR:

I CANNOT HONESTLY GIVE YOU AN ANSWER TO THAT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW AND I IMAGINE THAT THEY ARE VARIOUS. ALL I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF PEOPLE DO WANT TO APPLY AND IT IS ENTIRELY UP TO THEM WHETHER THEY WANT TO OR NOT, THEY SHOULD DO SO BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH.

Q.:

ROGER THOMAS, FREELANCE BROADCASTER AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICIAL. MAY I ASK YOU WHY, WHEN HONG KONG IS MAKING A DETERMINED EFFORT ΤΟ UNDERLINE ITS INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE, THE GOVERNMENT APPEARS ΤΟ BE MAKING A DETERMINED EFFORT TO UNDERMINE THE ENGLISH SERVICE OF RTHK, BOTH IN ITS SCOPE AND ITS PROFESSIONAL ABILITY?

A.: GOVERNOR: I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MEMBERS OF RTHK YOU HAVE HERE, OR ARE YOU ALL JUST LISTENERS? I DON'T IT IS NOT EASY FOR ME ΤΟ ANSWER THAT QUESTION IN DETAIL, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH OF THE DETAIL AT MY FINGERTIPS. ALL I WOULD SAY IS THAT I DON'T ACCEPT THAT IT IS A GOVERNMENT POLICY TO UNDERMINE THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE CAPABILITY OF RTHK. WHAT WE DO HAVE TO DO IS TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT RTHK IS AS COST EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE AND IT HAS TO CATER FOR AN AUDIENCE WHICH IS PREDOMINANTLY CANTONESE SPEAKING AND AT THE SAME TIME IT HAS то CATER FOR A MINORITY ENGLISH SPEAKING AUDIENCE. I, TOO, AM A LISTENER TO RTHK AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAVE FOUND VERY VALUABLE AS A NEW SERVICE OVER THE LAST YEAR OR MORE IS THE REBROADCASTING OF THE WORLD SERVICE OF THE BBC. I THINK THAT IS A TREMENDOUS SERVICE AND I FOR ONE APPRECIATE IT.

Q.:

BRIAN CAP

IF THE AIM OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS то KEEP THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT INFORMED AS YOU STATED IN YOUR SPEECH, HOW IS IT THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY MISUNDERSTANDINGS. OVER THE AIRPORT PROJECT?

A.:

GOVERNOR: THAT IS NOT AN EASY QUESTION TO ANSWER, IS IT? THE WISH IS NOT ALWAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE FULFILLMENT OF THE WISH ON THAT OR ANYTHING ELSE. THERE ARE, AS I WAS SAYING, AN IMMENSE THERE IS AN IMMENSE BACKGROUND OF MISUNDERSTANDINGS ALWAYS FROM BOTH SIDES THAT YOU HAVE TO TRY AND OVERCOME IN ORDER TO GET INFORMATION ACROSS. THE AIRPORT EXPERIENCE, I SUPPOSE, HAS SHOWN US THAT WE HAVE NOT ALWAYS SUCCEEDED IN EXPLAINING THINGS CLEARLY ENOUGH OR WE HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED IN PERSUADING PEOPLE IN CHINA OF THE REASONS FOR WHAT WE WERE DOING. ALL ONE CAN SAY NOW IS THAT WHEN YOU IDENTIFY A PROBLEM, THE BEST THING IS TO TRY TO DEAL WITH IT AND THAT IS THE REASON FOR HAVING THE EXPERT TALKS WHICH ARE STARTING TOMORROW IN PEKING, THIRD ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS, AND I HOPE THAT THEY WILL MAKE SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS.

Q.:

—

MANY

+ r

THE SOME

WERE

CHRIS PETERSON

THE AIRPORT TALKS DISTURBED BY THE SECOND PRESS. . THAT SPRANG UP. I WONDER IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THE BACKGROUND TO IT AND PERHAPS REFER TO THE REPORTS WHICH I DON'T KNOW WERE CONFIRMED OR NOT, BUT HONG KONG WAS BEHIND IT?

/A.:

GOVERNOR: