XN000022-1992-07-10 — Page 4

FRIDAY, JULY 10, 1992

نیا

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THE GOVERNOR: I WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE WAY MY REMARKS, YESTERDAY, WERE REPORTED AND I DIDN'T GET QUITE THE FLAVOUR OF YOUR QUESTION IN THE REPORTING OF MY SPEECH YESTERDAY, BUT I'M SURE IT IS THE CASE THAT ONE ALWAYS GETS ONE'S BEST COVERAGE ON THE FIRST MORNING AFTER ONE HAS TAKEN UP A JOB. I HOPE THAT SOME OF THE COVERAGE CONTINUES TO BE HELPFUL IN THE COMING WEEKS. PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO JUDGE ME BY WHAT I DO AND AS I SAID YESTERDAY, I WILL BE SETTING OUT IN GREATER DETAIL MY AGENDA FOR THE FUTURE WHEN I SPEAK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN

AS

OCTOBER.

QUESTION:

•

(INDISTINCT)

THE GOVERNOR: I SAID, YESTERDAY, THAT LAW AND ORDER WAS GOING TO BE TOP PRIORITY. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO SAY HOW.

A

ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WILL FIND THAT I DO IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS IS TO SPEND A GOOD DEAL OF TIME WITH THOSE WHO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY, FOR SECURING LAW AND ORDER IN THIS TERRITORY. IT'S A REASON WHY I AM GOING TO MONG KOK THIS AFTERNOON, AND I WILL BE SPENDING MORE TIME WITH THE POLICE AND THE SECURITY FORCES IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS SO I CAN LEARN FROM THEM FIRST- HAND HOW WE CAN IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN OUR FIGHT AGAINST CRIME, PARTICULARLY VIOLENT CRIME. BUT WE DO OF COURSE NEED TO HAVE THE CLOSEST POSSIBLE CO-OPERATION WITH THE PRC IN VIEW OF SOME OF THE RECENT OUTRAGEOUS VIOLENT CRIMES THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS SUFFERED.

QUESTION:

THE PRC

(INDISTINCT)

THE

GOVERNOR: DO I THINK THERE'S BEEN TOO MUCH INTERFERENCE FROM IN RELATION, FOR EXAMPLE, TO THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL?

I'VE SAID ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ALREADY, I HOPE COURTEOUSLY, THAT APPOINTMENTS TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ARE MATTERS FOR THE GOVERNOR, ACTING UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THEY ARE MATTERS FOR ME AND I AM SURE THAT IS WIDELY RECOGNISED, NOT LEAST BY ALL THOSE WHO TAKE AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN THE WAY THAT HONG KONG IS GOVERNED. WE DO HAVE TO RECOGNISE THE UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IN MAKING THE JOINT DECLARATION WORK, IN MAKING SURE THAT "ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS" IS IMPLEMENTED IN FULL AND WITH ENTHUSIASM AFTER 1997. I'M SURE THAT WE CAN FIND A CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP WHILE RECOGNISING OUR DIFFERENT, IF JOINED,

RESPONSIBILITIES.

QUESTION:

(INDISTINCT}

THE GOVERNOR: I'M SURE THAT THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED ON THE AIRPORT WILL BE RESOLVED IN DUE COURSE IN THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. I THINK THAT THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE WILL BE MEETING AGAIN LATER

IN THE WEEK TO TAKE MATTERS FORWARD AND I HOPE THAT IT REACHES SOME SATISFACTORY CONCLUSIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, YOU HAVE SAID THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN STANCES THAT HONG KONG AND CHINA HAVE TAKEN, WHAT ARE YOUR

(INDISTINCT)

/THE GOVERNOR: