XN000022-1992-03-23 — Page 12

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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1992

GOVERNOR:

IF YOU

ABOUT FOUR YEARS' AGO. I'M VERY SURPRISED. EVER HAVE A CASE LIKE THAT OF SOMEBODY WHO IS INTENDING TO VISIT HONG KONG, A SENIOR PERSON AND THERE IS ANY DIFFICULTY, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH WITH ME PERSONALLY AND I WILL DEAL WITH IT. I'M VERY SURPRISED ΤΟ HEAR IT. WE WOULD WELCOME VISITS BY PEOPLE LIKE THAT, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. YOUR OTHER QUESTION WAS THAT MARVELOUS BROAD BROAD ONE OF WHAT SHOULD WE DO IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS 1 I DON'T THINK I'LL EVEN ATTEMPT THAT. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT I WOULD BE KEEPING YOU HERE UNTIL TEA TIME, BUT JUST VERY VERY BRIEFLY 1 IT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GO ON BEING A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY, THAT'S ONE THING, MAKE SURE THAT WE BUILD UP A SENSIBLE, CONSTRUCTIVE, PRAGMATIC RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, THAT'S ANOTHER THING, AND THIRDLY, THAT WE TRY TO BUILD UP INSTITUTIONS HERE OF ALL SORT'S WHICH WILL SURVIVE THROUGH 1997. THOSE ARE THREE, I KNOW, VERY BROAD BRUSH ONES, BUT AT

THE EXPENSE OF TRYING TO DO IT BRIEFLY, THOSE ARE THE THREE THINGS I WOULD LEAVE YOU WITH.

QUESTION:

WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DECIDED THAT A CHANGE OF GOVERNOR WAS NECESSARY, AND DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT JUDGMENT?

GOVERNOR:

I CAN'T SEE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. YOU GOT LOST AMONGST ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHERS. I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER IT PRECISELY AS YOU'VE PUT IT, BUT LET ME PUT IT LIKE THIS INSTEAD. THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE AT SOME TIME. I DON'T THINK IT MAKES SENSE FOR SOMEONE TO GO ON BEING GOVERNOR FOR 10 YEARS OR MORE WHICH WOULD BE A CASE IF I WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH FROM APRIL 1987 RIGHT THROUGH TO 1997, SO THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE AT SOME POINT. THE ADVANTAGE OF HAVING A CHANGE NOW DURING 1992 MEANS THAT A NEW PERSON, WHEN THEY COME IN WILL HAVE TIME TO SETTLE IN, PEOPLE WILL GET TO KNOW THEM, THEY WILL GET TO KNOW THE PLACE, GET WELL ESTABLISHED, SIGNIFICANTLY IN ADVANCE OF THE LAST TWO YEARS OR SO, AND THERE IS A GREAT ADVANTAGE TO THAT. FOR MYSELF, WHAT DO I SAY. SIMPLY THAT I SHALL BE SAD ΤΟ LEAVE HONG KONG WHEN THE TIME COMES. I HAVE DEVOTED A LOT OF MY LIFE, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER TO HONG KONG, IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO ME THIS PLACE, ITS PEOPLE AND ITS FUTURE, SO I SHALL BE SAD WHEN THE TIME COMES TO GO, BUT THAT TIME ALWAYS HAS TO COME AT SOME POINT AND I TAKE COMFORT FROM THE FACT THAT I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY NOW TO GO ON PLAYING, I HOPE, A HELPFUL AND SUPPORTIVE ROLE FROM THE HOUSE OF LORDS, AND YOU CAN BE SURE OF ONE THING, AND THAT IS, I SHALL NOT LOSE INTEREST IN WHAT IS HAPPENING IN HONG KONG,

QUESTION:

—

I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU, GOVERNOR. (1) CAN YOU FRANKLY SEE A ROLE FOR VOCAL AND POPULAR FIGURES EMILY LAU, MARTIN LEE AND SZÉTO WAH BEING APPOINTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IN THE REMAINING OF THE TRANSITION YEARS? AND SECONDLY, WHAT KIND OR ARRANGEMENTS DO HONG KONG AND BRITAIN HAVE IN HELPING CHINA TO GROOM THE FUTURE LEADERS OF THE FIRST SAR GOVERNMENT?

/GOVERNOR: