XN000022-1992-10-23 — Page 10

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1992

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE

HELD IN BEIJING TODAY (FRIDAY)

I'VE GOT A STATEMENT TO READ AND THEN I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS. BUT I'M BRIEFING THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TOMORROW AND THAT'S WHERE I'LL OBVIOUSLY HAVE A MORE POINTED OPPORTUNITY OF ANSWERING QUESTIONS.

HONG

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY HOSTS, PARTICULARLY THE KONG AND MACAU OFFICE, FOR LOOKING AFTER US SO WELL THIS WEEK, AND FOR MAKING ALL THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS. I'D PARTICULARLY LIKE TO THANK DIRECTOR LU FOR HIS COURTESY. I'M EXTREMELY PLEASED TO HAVE MET HIM AT LAST. WE SHALL HAVE A GREAT DEAL TO DO WITH EACH OTHER OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.

HE

EACH THAT

WE'VE SPENT A GOOD DEAL OF TIME TOGETHER THIS WEEK; KNOWS ME BETTER AND I KNOW HIM BETTER, AND I THINK WE UNDERSTAND OTHER'S POSITIONS BETTER, AS WELL. IT'S HARDLY A STATE SECRET WE DID NOT SEE EYE TO EYE ON EVERYTHING, BUT I RATHER DOUBT THAT ANYONE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD. WE'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH MINISTERS AND SENIOR OFFICIALS FOR SOME 10 HOURS; WE'VE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF ISSUES ON THE HONG KONG AGENDA, AS WELL, OF COURSE, AS MY PROPOSALS FOR POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG.

LET ME START WITH THE ISSUES ON WHICH I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS. BOTH SIDES AGREED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND MAXIMUM CONTINUITY FOR HONG KONG'S EXCELLENT CIVIL SERVICE. IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN CIVIL SERVANTS' UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA, I PROPOSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRAINING COURSE IN PEKING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IT WILL, I HOPE, PROVIDE LANGUAGE TRAINING IN MANDARIN AND HELP PARTICIPANTS TO ESTABLISH CONTACT AND GET A BROAD UNDERSTANDING OF CHINA. DIRECTOR LU HAS ACCEPTED THIS SUGGESTION IN PRINCIPLE. THE TWO SIDES WILL BE DISCUSSING HOW TO GET THE COURSE UP AND RUNNING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. OUR AIM IS THAT ALL LEVEL OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS TAKE PART IN IT BY THE 30TH JUNE 1997.

CROSS-BORDER

WE DISCUSSED A NUMBER OF SECURITY ISSUES, INCLUDING CRIME AND SMUGGLING. IN ORDER TO STRENGTHEN OUR JOINT EFFORTS TO COMBAT SMUGGLING AND RELATED SECURITY ISSUES, I HAVE PROPOSED:

(1)

CO-ORDINATED OPERATIONS AGAINST SMUGGLING,

(2)

BETTER COMMUNICATION AND SHARING OF INTELLIGENCE BETWEEN SECURITY FORCES,

(3)

SUSTAINED ACTION BY GUANGDONG, IN CONCERT WITH HONG KONG, AGAINST SMUGGLING, AND

(4)

EARLY AGREEMENT ON THE ADMINISTRATIVE BOUNDARY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG WATERS, WHICH CAN THEN BE CLEARLY MARKED WITH BUOYS, SO AS TO REDUCE THE INCIDENCE OF INADVERTENT INCURSION.

/WE DISCUSSED

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