XN000022-1994-01-17 — Page 4

نیا

MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 1994

QUESTION: WITH REGARD TO PRESS FREEDOM, HOW CAN YOU GIVE ANY GUARANTEE ABOUT WHAT HAPPEN AFTER 1997?

GOVERNOR: ALL I CAN POINT TO IS WHAT'S BEEN AGREED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION WHICH INCLUDES FREEDOM OF THE PRESS AND PRESS FREEDOM. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS ARE SINCERE WHEN THEY SAY THAT THEY WANT PRESS FREEDOM TOO.

QUESTION: MR GOVERNOR, WILL THE CABINET MAKE ANY DECISION ON WHEN THE REST OF THE BILL (BE TABLED IN LEGCO)?

GOVERNOR: I AM SURE THAT MINISTERS WILL WANT TO HAVE MY VIEWS ON THAT MATTER. BUT THE MAIN CONSIDERATION IS TO PROCEED IN A SENSIBLE STEP- BY-STEP WAY AND THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO DO IS TO GET THE PRESENT BILL SATISFACTORILY ONTO THE STATUTE BOOK.

SAY

QUESTION: I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WHO THAT THE NEGOTIATORS MUST HAVE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO OVER HONG KONG'S POLITICAL FUTURE WHICH IS THE SCRAPPING OF ALL THESE REFORMS IN 1997. MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHETHER YOU CONSIDER THE WORST CASE SCENARIO AND WHAT IS THE BENEFIT TO HONG KONG IF THESE REFORMS HAVE BEEN SCRAPPED AND WE'LL HAVE A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF REFORM?

GOVERNOR: IT ISN'T A VERY PERSUASIVE ARGUMENT TO SAY THAT IF CHINA CHOOSES TO OR SAYS IT WILL BREAK ALL WINDOWS AFTER 1997 THAT WE SHOULD BREAK THEM IN 1994 AND 1995. IT'S NOT VERY SENSIBLE TO SUGGEST THAT BECAUSE CHINA THREATENS TO DO THINGS WHICH WILL BE DIRECTLY CONTRARY TO HONG KONG'S INTEREST AFTER 1997, WE SHOULD AGREE TO THINGS WHICH SHOULD BE CONTRARY TO HONG KONG'S INTEREST THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR. WE HAVE TO PUT IN PLACE WHAT WE THINK IS A FAIR AND REASONABLE SET OF ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTING THE DISTRICT ORGANISATIONS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THAT'S DISCHARGING OUR SOVEREIGNTY IN A WAY WHICH IS REASONABLE AND IS IN THE INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THAT WE INTEND TO DO AND I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS WILL DO WHAT'S IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997.

QUESTION:

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ARE YOU STILL CONFIDENT THAT THE BILL HAS THE MAJORITY TO GET THE BILL THROUGH......?

GOVERNOR: I VERY MUCH HOPE SO. BUT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS THE BODY WHICH HAS TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISIONS. I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNISES THAT. THE COMMUNITY RECOGNISES THAT AND I ASSUME CHINESE OFFICIALS, DESPITE WHAT THEY SAY, RECOGNISE THAT AS WELL. BUT WE, OBVIOUSLY, PUT THE PROPOSALS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, BELIEVING THAT THEY WERE THE BEST ONES FOR HONG KONG AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THOSE EMERGED. THANKS VERY MUCH.

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