XN000022-1992-07-27 — Page 17

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MONDAY, JULY 27, 1992

THE GOVERNOR:

WE'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF THE COMMUNITY ON THE RIGHT VOTING METHOD FOR 1995. AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, WHAT IS IMPERATIVE - AND I'M SURE THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARGUE, QUITE PROPERLY, FOR A SMOOTH TRANSITION WOULD RECOGNISE THAT IT WAS IMPERATIVE IS TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A VOTING SYSTEM WHICH IS REGARDED AS FAIR, REGARDED AS EQUITABLE, NOT ONLY BY THOSE WHO WIN BUT BY THOSE WHO LOSE. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SYSTEM WHICH IS BROADLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A FAIR WAY OF ENSURING PARTICIPATION BY THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY IN THE GOVERNMENT

HONG KONG,

LAM KIT-YEE (HK BCONOMIC TIMRS):

—

OF

MR HURD, YOU SAID THAT BOTH THE

THROUGH-TRAIN AND INCREASING DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS ARE DRSTRABLE TO HAVE BUT THE CHINESE SIDE SAY THAT THE BASIC LAW HAS ALREADY FIXED THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY-BLECTED SEATS AFTER 1997, 80 IN WHAT WAY CAN BOTH BE DESIRABLE AT THE SAME TIME?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

WELL THEY CAN BOTH BE DESTRABLE. WE HAVEN'T YET DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. I'VE SAID OFTEN THAT WE WILL DO 80, AND WE WILL DO SO WHEN THE GOVERNOR HAS COMPLETED HIS REVIEW AND WE HAVE CONSIDERED WHAT HE BELIEVES ARE THE RIGHT ANSWERS POR HONG KONG. THEN WE WILL GO TO THE CHINESE AND DISCUSS THOSE MATTERS, THOSE ASPECTS IN WHICH THEY HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST, WHICH COURSE GO BEYOND SIMPLY THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS. WE HAVE ΤΟ ESTABLISH THE QUESTIONS IN WHICH THEY HAVE A LEGITIMATE INTEREST AND DISCUSS THOSE WITH THEM. SO I THINK IT IS PREMATURR ASSUME ANYTHING BEYOND THAT.

OF

ΤΟ

THE GOVERNOR:

ONE AT A TIME, OTHERWISE

LAM KIT-YEE (HK ECONOMIC TIMES):

TO INCREASE THE NUMBER DIRECTLY-ELECTED SEATS, THEN WHAT WOULD THE BRITISH SIDE DO?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

OF

WELL, WE WILL HAVE TO ТАКЕ STOCK OF THAT SITUATION BUT THAT WILL COME AFTRR WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE MATTER THEM AND NOT NOW.

WITH

HANS VRIENS (RADIO NETHERLANDS):

MR HURD OR MR PATTEN, WILL THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT CONTINUE TILL AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA IS REACHED IN, LET'S SAY SIX MONTHS TIME?

THE GOVERNOR: THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS, AS YOU KNOW, WHICH ARE BROADLY SPEAKING ENCOMPASSED IN THE TERM 'THE AIRPORT PROJECT' WHICH ARE GOING AHEAD AND THOSE WILL GO AHEAD AS THEY ARE AT PRESENT. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BUILDING OF THE LARGEST BRIDGE,

FOR

PHILIP BOWRING (FREELANCE}: MR HURD, YOU'VE JUST BEEN IN MANILA THE ASEAN MEETING OF WHICH THE SPRATLEYS WERE THE MAIN SUBJECT OF DISCUSSION. COULD YOU TELL US WHAT IS THE ATTITUDE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, AND INDEED OF THE EEC, BROADLY, ΤΟ CHINA'S CLAIM OF NAVIGATION RIGHTS THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH CHINA SEA FOR NUCLEAR VESSELS

AND SUBMARINES?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: I WASN'T ACTUALLY AT THE ASEAN DISCUSSION ON THE SPRATLEYS BRCAUSE IT WAS AN ASEAN DISCUSSION AND NOT ONE WHICH, WHAT THEY CALL THE DIALOGUE PARTNERS TOOK PART IN, SO I WOULD RATHER NOT COMMENT ON THAT, OR SPECIFICALLY ON THE MATTER WHICH YOU MENTIONED.

/FRANCIS YIP