XN000022-1991-02-20 — Page 13

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1991

A.:

GOVERNOR: LET ME TRY TO EXPLAIN IT AS I SEE IT. FIRST OF ALL, SHOULD ONE HAVE TALKS WHICH ARE CARRIED OUT CONFIDENTALLY BETWEEN EXPERTS AND TO THAT MY ANSWER IS "YES" IT IS QUITE RIGHT TO DO SO. IT IS SOMETHING WHICH HAPPENS ALL AROUND THE WORLD EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR, THE WHOLE TIME. WE FOUND THAT OVER PREVIOUS EXPERT TALKS THAT THERE HAVE BEEN PROBLEMS AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN REFLECTED IN THE TALKS THEMSELVES BECAUSE OF A LOT OF WHAT SEEMED TO BE SIDE COMMENTS, MAYBE BACKGROUND BRIEFING BY BOTH SIDES, WHICH WAS NOT PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO REACH AN UNDERSTANDING. SO, WE DO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING WITH CHINA AND THIS IS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING, THERE IS SECRET ABOUT IT, THAT THIS ROUND OF TALKS SHOULD BE CONFIDENTIAL AND BOTH SIDES AGREED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE SIDE-BRIEFING THE PRESS DURING THE TALKS. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE CORRECT POSITION TO TAKE BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE PROGRESS AND THESE ARE, AFTER ALL,

NOTHING MORE THAN EXPERT TALKS. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER JOURNALISTS SHOULD GO TO CHINA OR NOT, THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH CAN ONLY BE FOR CHINA, THAT IS NOT FOR US AT ALL, AND IF JOURNALISTS WANT TO GO TO CHINA TOMORROW TO PHOTOGRAPH THE BEGINNING OF THE TALKS THEN, EXCELLENT. GOOD LUCK TO THEM.

NO

Q.:

+

KONG'S

DAMAGE

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER MAJOR HAS JUST TURNED DOWN A REQUEST BY THE DALAI LAMA FOR A MEETING IN BRITAIN NEXT MONTH, DO HONG CIRCUMSTANCES FIGURE AT ALL IN THIS DECISION, AND IF SO, WHAT IS CHINA IN A POSITION TO DO TO THIS COLONY SHOULD HE DECIDE TO GO AHEAD AND MEET WITH THE SPIRITUAL LEADER OF AN AUTONOMOUS REGION?

A.:

GOVERNOR:

SO

I THINK ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE I HAVE MANY THINGS IN HONG KONG TO DEAL WITH, I SHALL LEAVE THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TO ANSWER QUESTIONS HIMSELF ABOUT WHAT HE DECIDES TO DO.

SUZANNA HO, LIVERPOOL POST AND HONG KONG COUNCIL OF WOMEN :

WHAT PROGRESS IS THE GOVERNMENT MAKING IN ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION

THE SPECIAL NEEDS OF WOMEN IN HONG KONG, AND ON THE EXTENSION ΤΟ HONG KONG OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT FOR THE ELIMINATION OF ALI, FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN?

GOVERNOR:

—

A.:

THAT I KNOW IT SHOULDN'T SOUND AS THOUGH IT IS A VERY TECHNICAL QUESTION, BUT FOR ME THAT IS A VERY TECHNICAL QUESTION. I WOULD MUCH RATHER, IF YOU DON'T MIND - CERTAINLY ON THE SECOND PART OF THAT WHICH I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SEND YOU A LETTER, AN ANSWER, ON THAT. ON THE GENERAL QUESTION, WE WOULD LIKE IN GENERAL TERMS TO HAVE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN BUT THAT HAS TO BE, INEVITABLY, A RATHER GENERAL QUESTION (ANSWER) TO YOUR VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION. MAY I SEND YOU A WRITTEN REPLY ON THAT, WOULD BE MUCH EASIER?

Q.:

A.:

ON THE SPECIFIC QUESTION

GOVERNOR:

+

PLEASE

–

YES, I WILL DO.

/Q.:

EMILY LAU

IT