XN000022-1994-08-29 — Page 5

MONDAY, AUGUST 29, 1994

QUESTION : THE US DELEGATION LED BY THE SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE IN CHINA WILL ACHIEVE THE SIGNING OF SEVERAL COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS. WILL IT THREATEN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF A BRITISH TRADE DELEGATION TO CHINA IN LATE SEPTEMBER ?

GOVERNOR : NO. BUT THAT'S NOT A MATTER FOR ME.

QUESTION : SO, DO YOU AGREE WITH MR LU PING'S VIEW ON THE TWO FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING THAT MAYBE IT WILL FAIL YOUR EXPECTATION TO ACHIEVE A FEW GOALS ?

GOVERNOR : WELL, IT WON'T FAIL BECAUSE OF ANY LACK OF COMMITMENT ON MR DOUGLAS HURD'S PART. IF OTHERS ARE SAYING IT WILL FAIL BECAUSE THEY WANT IT TO FAIL, THEN THAT'S A PRETTY CURIOUS MESSAGE FOR THEM TO OFFER THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD WISH TO DO THAT. WE HAVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AS WE COME INTO, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE LAST THREE YEARS BEFORE THE CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997. WE HAVE TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR THAT THOSE WHO ARE IN A POSITION TO GIVE REASSURANCES ABOUT THE FUTURE ARE, OF COURSE, THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN. AND I'M NOT SURE THAT YOU GIVE REASSURANCE ABOUT THE FUTURE BY SAYING THAT YOU ARE NOT GOING TO WORK HARD TO CO-OPERATE IN THE INTEREST OF THE LIVELIHOOD AND WELL-BEING OF THE PROPLE OF HONG KONG. SO, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WISDOM, AND GOOD SENSE, WILL PREVAIL. AND I AM GOING TO - PROCEED IN THAT GENEROUS-SPIRITED, CHARITABLE FRAME OF MIND FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

QUESTION : TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU THINK THAT THE TWO FOREIGN SECRETARIES' MEETING WILL HELP IMPROVE THE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP ?

GOVERNOR I HOPE THAT IT WILL DO SO. IT WILL CERTAINLY BE THE FOREIGN SECRETARY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S HOPE THAT IT WILL DO SO.

QUESTION : WILL YOU CONSIDER SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT ENQUIRY TO EXAMINE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE KOON LUNG LAU CASE, THE LANDSLIDE CASE?

GOVERNOR : WE'RE DISCUSSING THAT ISSUE AT EXCO TOMORROW. AS I SAID EARLIER, WE'VE APPOINTED AN INTERNATIONAL EXPERT WHO'S STARTED WORK. AND I'D LIKE TO SEE HIS REPORT AND RECOMMENDATIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO DECIDE TOMORROW WHETHER THERE IS A CASE, AS SOME LEGISLATORS HAVE SUGGESTED, FOR A COMMISSION OF ENQUIRY IN ADDITION TO THE INDEPENDENT EXPERT'S WORK. ONE MORE.

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QUESTION : HAS THE ADMINISTRATION LIFTED THE BAN FOR THE CIVIL SERVANTS, ESPECIALLY THE DISCIPLINARY FORCES, TO MEET THE PWC ?

GOVERNOR : OUR POSITION ON THE PWC IS EXACTLY WHAT IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN. AND I WON'T REHEARSE FOR YOU ARGUMENTS WHICH I'VE PUT FORWARD ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, WE WANT THE MAXIMUM CO-OPERATION. AND CO- OPERATION MUST BE GIVEN ITS MOMENTUM IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, IN THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. THAT'S WHERE WE'VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD. AND HOPE OTHERS WILL WORK HARD AS WELL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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