XN000022-1994-02-24 — Page 12

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1994

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SECONDLY, THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL HAVE NOTICED THAT IT'S SOMETIMES TAKEN AS A CRITICISM OF ME THAT I HAVEN'T BEEN SHY ABOUT ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC. I HAVE HELD, AFTER BOTH OF MY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SPEECHES, OPEN MEETINGS AROUND THE TERRITORY, SOMETIMES DESCRIBED BY CRITICS AS A SHOW', IN MY VIEW AN IMPORTANT PART OF ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNMENT, AND AS AN ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNOR, I AM HAPPY TO TAKE PART IN ANY SIMILAR SUCH DISCUSSIONS. I HAVE ACTUALLY TAKEN PART, I RECALL, IN A DISCUSSION WITH THE DISTINGUISHED EDITOR OF *WEN WEI PO' ON THE TELEVISION. I HAVE TAKEN PART IN DISCUSSIONS ON TELEVISION WITH ONE OR TWO MEMBERS OF THE PWC AND I HOPE THAT THOSE OCCASIONS, THOUGH LATE AT NIGHT, HAVE INFORMED ALL THOSE INSOMNIACS

WHO WATCHED THEM.

GOVERNOR, THE GAZETTING AND TABLING OF THE 1992

MR HOWARD YOUNG: VERSION

BROUGHT OF THE SECOND STAGE REFORMS, AS YOU'VE DESCRIBED, IS ABOUT WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA. HOWEVER, ON THE OTHER HAND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT IT IS WILLING TO CONTINUE NEGOTIATIONS. ALTHOUGH SOON AS THEY ARE, THE CHANCES OF SUCH HAPPENING, HAS IT GONE BEYOND THE STAGE YET WHERE DURING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, SHOULD THERE BE AGREEMENT REACHED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER WITH CHINA

IN NECESSARILY

NEGOTIATIONS, AGREEMENTS CAN EVEN BE REACHED DIPLOMATIC LETTERS OR EXCHANGES IF DURING THAT PROCESS, NOW HAS GONE

STAGE BEYOND THE

WHERE THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT EVEN BRING AMENDMENTS TO WHAT IS BEING GAZETTED TOMORROW TO CONFORM WITH ANY SUCH

THAT AGREEMENT

PROCESS COULD BE REACHED BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE

ENDED?

GOVERNOR:

HAVE

—

NOT

BY

IT

UP

HAS

DOOR

I REPEAT, IN A WAY, WHAT I SAID EARLIER, THAT OUR HAS NEVER BEEN CLOSED AND WILL NEVER BE CLOSED. AND IF IN THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW MONTHS WE THOUGHT THERE WAS THE CHANCE OF AN AGREED WAY FORWARD WITH CHINA WHICH WAS ALSO ACCEPTABLE AND WHICH SECURED THE OBJECTIVES WHICH I THINK THE COMMUNITY HAS, THEN WE WOULD OF COURSE WHAT AMENDING TO PRESENT THAT TO THE COUNCIL, EVEN IF IT MEANT WAS ALREADY BEING CONSIDERED BY THE COUNCIL. THAT IS, I HOPE, AN

OF OUR SINCERITY. EARNEST

BUT AGAIN I SAY THAT TIME DOES CLOSE IN, NOT BECAUSE IT'S

WE WISH IT WOULD THAT WAY, IT'S PART OF THE INELUCTABLE MOVEMENT OF THE CALENDAR. AND THE ELECTIONS THAT WE'VE

ARE,

FOR REASONS WHICH THE WHOLE COUNCIL KNOWS, EXTREMELY BUT I REPEAT, IT COMPLICATED AND DO INVOLVE COMPLICATED ARRANGEMENTS. HAS NEVER BEEN OUR POSITION THAT WE WOULD DECLINE TO HAVE TALKS.

GOT

MISS CHRISTINE LOH:

THANK YOU, MR PRESIDENT. I WELCOME THE RELEASE

THE BRITISH AND THE OF THE 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS BY BOTH

CHINESE GOVERNMENTS, IT WILL AT LEAST GIVE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG A CHANCE TO PROTEST AGAINST COMPROMISES MADE IN THEIR NAMES. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IS.

ALWAYS TRADITIONALLY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION HAS BEEN

THESE ARE THAT

DIPLOMATIC ISSUES AND

BE KEPT THEY SHOULD CONFIDENTIAL, BUT NOW THAT SINCE BOTH GOVERNMENTS ARE GOING TO RELEASE

IS THE INFORMATION,

THAT REALLY NOT A SIGNAL OF THE END OF SINO- BRITISH NEGOTIATIONS OVER ELECTORAL REFORM?

AND

MY ALSO,

SECOND QUESTION IS, IF WE WERE ΤΟ LEGISLATION AND I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT WE WILL PASS THEM BEFORE THAT THERE IS NO OPPORTUNITY, REALLY, TO EVER RETURN ΤΟ THESE ISSUES WITH CHINA, IS THAT CORRECT?

PASS

THIS JULY DISCUSS

/GOVERNOR: