XN000022-1994-06-01 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1, 1994

GOVERNOR : I CAN'T TELL YOU MORE NOW BUT I HOPE I'LL BE ABLE TO TELL YOU MORE BEFORE LONG. OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO PUT FORWARD ANY PROPOSALS THAT WE HAVE ON THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT AT THE SAME TIME AS WE MAKE OUR STATEMENT SOON ON THE WHOLE QUESTION OF PROPERTY PRICES. IF WE CAN'T SAY ANYTHING ON LAND AUCTIONS, THEN WE'LL SAY SOMETHING AS SOON AFTERWARD AS POSSIBLE. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULD BE DESIRABLE IF WE COULD SAY SOMETHING ON LAND AUCTIONS AT THE SAME TIME. THE ONLY POINT I WOULD ADD IS THAT I AM SURE THAT DEVELOPERS MUST HAVE NOTED THE CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC CONCERN ON THIS ISSUE AND I HOPE THEY WOULD HAVE NOT ONLY NOTED BUT INWARDLY DIGESTED.

QUESTION : HAS THE GOVERNMENT MADE ANY ADVANCE CHINESE DISSIDENTS TO COME TO HONG KONG?

·

ΤΟ LET EXILED

GOVERNOR : WE DON'T COMMENT ON INDIVIDUAL CASES. I'VE COMMENTED FROM TIME TO TIME ON THE POSITION OF MR HAN DONGFANG SINCE HIS POSITION HERE HAS BEEN TAGGED BY NAMELESS CHINESE OFFICIALS. I AM SURE HE'LL MAKE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE WORK HE'S DOING WITH, I THINK, THE CHRISTIAN INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY OR COUNCIL. AS FOR OTHERS, I DON'T THINK IT'S SENSIBLE TO COMMENT ON INDIVIDUAL CASES BUT I WILL MAKE THE POINT ONCE AGAIN THAT THIS IS A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE TIME AND "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS" WORKS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. IT INVOLVES A BIT OF GIVE AND TAKE BOTH WAYS.

QUESTION : THERE ARE REPORTS THAT CHINA WILL BAN THE HONG KONG ALLIANCE AFTER 1997 AND IS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT NOW.

GOVERNOR : THAT IS A QUESTION TO ASK DIRECTOR LU PING NEXT TIME HE COMES TO HONG KONG WHICH I HOPE WILL BE SOON.

QUESTION : BUT CAN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DO ANYTHING

GOVERNOR : THE SAR GOVERNMENT IS BY DEFINITION DIFFERENT FROM THE GOVERNMENT AT THE MOMENT. THERE WILL BE A TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY ON JULY 1, 1997. SO UNLESS I AM, PERHAPS LIKELY IMPROBABLY ASKED TO STAY ON, THIS WILL NOT BE A RESPONSIBILITY WHICH I HAVE TO DISCHARGE.

BUT,

1997,

THEY

IF

TO

BE ABSOLUTELY SERIOUS, I AM SURE THAT THE CLOSER WE GET TO THE MORE SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS WILL UNDERSTAND THE ROLE THAT HAVE TO PLAY IF THEY ARE TO ENCOURAGE CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE AND THEY ARE TO ENCOURAGE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY IN THE PRESENT AND IT WILL BE A MATTER OF CONCERN IF THINGS SAID PERHAPS THOUGHTLESSLY OR BY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T REALLY IN ANY POSITION TO MAKE IMPORTANT STATEMENTS CAUSE UNNECESSARY WORRY IN THE COMMUNITY ABOUT FUTURE COMMITMENTS TO OUR VALUES AS AN OPEN AND PLURAL SOCIETY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

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