THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1993
11
TWO QUESTIONS. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER EXPRESSED IN HIS FIRST QUESTION SOME OF THE SCEPTICISM WHICH IS UNDOUBTEDLY GOING TO
TO BE REFLECTED MORE WIDELY IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR AN OVERALL SETTLEMENT OF ISSUES LIKE THE THROUGH TRAIN, IF WE CAN'T BVEN REACH AN AGREEMENT ON APPOINTED MEMBERSHIP OF DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS, ON THE VOTING METHOD FOR LEGCO, ON WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE MUST KNOW THIS COUNCIL'S VIEWS AND THE COMMUNITY'S VIEWS AS WELL AS I DO. I THINK DESPITE THAT SCEPTICISM IT'S INCUMBENT UPON YOUR GOVERNMENT AND THOSE WHO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO TRY VERY HARD, WHATEVER THE DIFFICULTIES, TO GET AN AGREEMENT. IF WE COULD GET AN AGREEMENT IT WOULD BE A GREAT PRIZE. A CHINESE OFFICIAL SAID NOT VERY LONG AGO, I THINK UNWISELY AND PERHAPS TO BE FAIR TO HIM INADVERTENTLY, THAT IT WOULD BE NO BIG DEAL IF WE DIDN'T GET AN AGREEMENT. WELL I THINK IT WOULD BE A BIG DEAL IF WE COULD GET AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR CHINA, GOOD FOR HONG KONG, GOOD IN A WAY FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE UK'S RELATIONS WITH CHINA. SO WE'LL GO ON TRYING AND WE'RE PREPARED TO GO ON TALKING AND OUR TEAM WILL NEVER BE THE TEAM THAT WALKS AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE, NEVER. WB PROPOSED THE NEGOTIATIONS; WE'VE GONE AT TEN DAY OR FORTNIGHTLY INTERVALS
UP ΤΟ PEKING TO TAKE PART IN THE NEGOTIATIONS; WE'VE GONE ON PUTTING SINCERITY INTO THESE NEGOTIATIONS; WE'VE PROPOSED A FORMULA FOR KEEPING THE NEGOTIATIONS GOING AND WE'LL TRY UNTIL WHAT I HOPE THE BITTER BUT THE SWEET END. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER SAYS, "WELL WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON'T GET AN AGREEMENT?" I'M ALWAYS RELUCTANT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WHICH ARE HYPOTHETICAL BUT HIS IS, WHILE HYPOTHETICAL, A PERFECTLY REASONABLE QUESTION. IF WE DON'T REACH AN AGREEMENT THEN BECAUSE OF OUR SOVEREIGN RESPONSIBILITIES то CONDUCT ELECTIONS IN 1994 AND 95, IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION, WE WILL HAVE TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS TO THIS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OURSELVES AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL THEN HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT IT BELIEVES TO BE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
ISN'T
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE POINT BECAUSE, IT IS, IF I MAY SAY SO, PERHAPS A FEATURE, AN INEVITABLE FEATURE OF HONG KONG'S LIFE, THAT IN DISCUSSING POLITICAL ISSUES, CONSPIRACY THEORIES VERY OFTEN ABOUND. THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM ABOUT AND I WANT TO NAIL ONE STRAIGHTAWAY. IF THE GOVERNMENT PUTS FORWARD PROPOSALS WHICH IN OUR ESTIMATION AND
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL'S ESTIMATION REPRESENT THE BEST WAY OF SECURING FAIR AND OPEN ARRANGEMENTS FOR OUR ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG, WHICH ARE MOST LIKELY TO COMMAND THE BROADEST MEASURE OF SUPPORT IN HONG KONG, HAVING PUT THOSE PROPOSALS FORWARD THE ADMINISTRATION ISN'T GOING TO DASH BACK UP THE ROAD TO THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. THE GOVERNOR ISN'T GOING TO PUT PROPOSALS IN FRONT OF THIS LEGISLATIVE WHETHER THEY'RE AFTER AGREEMENT OR NOT, AND THEN DASH GOVERNMENT HOUSE LEAVING IT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO WHATEVER VIEW IT WANTS. ANY PROPOSALS THAT WE PUT FORWARD WANT TO ARGUE FOR. WE WON'T. I HOPE, BEHAVE IN WAYS WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WOULD FIND UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT WE WILL CERTAINLY TRY TO DEPLOY ALL THE RHETORICAL TALENTS AT OUR COMMAND TO GET INTO PLACE ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE BELIEVE ARE IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETIMES SUGGESTED THAT WE WOULD PUT ARRANGEMENTS INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THEN RUN FOR THE BUNKER. THAT IS NOT OUR INTENTION. WE WILL GO CONSISTENTLY ARGUING FOR, DEBATING FOR, WORKING FOR WHAT WE THINK IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG,
AND
ON
MR ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN: MR PRESIDENT, CAN I FOLLOW UP?
THE PRESIDENT: NO PLEASE WE'RE SHORT OF TIME.
COUNCIL, BACK TO COME TO WE WILL
/MISS ANNA
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