XN000022-1994-10-05 — Page 12

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994

GOVERNOR:

WELL, FOR US THE MAIN ISSUES ARE HOW WE DEAL WITH AND CO-OPERATE WITH THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE AND ANY FUTURE MEMBERS OF THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND ANY MEMBERS OF HIS OR HER TEAM AND SECONDLY, HOW WE CAN GIVE GREATER IMPETUS TO THE JLG. THE QUESTION OF HOW THE PWC WORKS IS NOT A MATTER FOR ME. I WAS INDICATING THIS AFTERNOON HOW WE COULD BE FLEXIBLE AND HELPFUL WITHOUT SEEKING TO BY-PASS THE JLG OR WITHOUT IGNORING THE AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN THE SOVEREIGN POWERS ABOUT THE TRANSITION. LET ME SAY A WORD MORE ABOUT HOW I SEE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND THE PWC. SOME PEOPLE SAY THE PWC WAS SET UP TO HELP THE TRANSITION. SONE PEOPLE SAY THAT THE PWC WAS SET UP AS A SECOND STOVE IN ORDER NOT TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BUT IN ORDER TO ERODE THE AUTHORITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. NOW, IT'S NOT FOR ME TO SPECULATE ABOUT WHICH OBJECTIVE CHINESE OFFICIALS HAD BUT I AM PERFECTLY HAPPY IF THE OBJECTIVE IS ΤΟ HELP DEAL WITH THE TRANSITION TO BE OPEN MINDED ABOUT THAT. WE'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE WHOLLY WRONG, AND I'M SURE YOU'D AGREE WITH THIS, FOR CIVIL SERVANTS TO BE MEMBERS OF THE PWC OR OF PWC SUB GROUPS. WE'VE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR CIVIL SERVANTS TO ACT AS ADVISORS TO PWC OR PWC SUB GROUPS. WE'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR CIVIL SERVANTS TO BE SUMMONED BY PWC MEETINGS OR THE MEETINGS OF SLB GROUPS. ON THE OTHER HAND I SHOULD THINK ON VIRTUALLY EVERY SUBJECT OF INTEREST TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS HAVE BRIEFED INDIVIDUAL PWC MEMBERS AND I AM PERFECTLY CONTENT THAT THAT SHOULD CONTINUE. BUT I REPEAT

WHAT IS OF PRIMARY CONCERN TO US WITHOUT LOOKING, WITHOUT BEING IDEOLOGICAL, ABOUT OUR RELATIONS WITH THE PWC WHAT IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE TO US IS HOW WE GIVE MORE IMPETUS TO THE JLG AND HOW IN DUE- COURSE WE CO-OPERATE WITH THE PREPARATORY COMMITTEE AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE DESIGNATE,

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QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, IT IS NOW TWO YEARS ANNIVERSARIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT. NOW, WITHOUT WASTING TIME AND BREATH ON RECRIMINATIONS, AS YOU SAID IN YOUR SPEECH, IT'S DIFFICULT TO KNOW HOW TO MOVE FORWARD IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. I DON'T MEAN YOU BUT US. THERE IS A LOG-JAM; THE RELATIONSHIP IS NOT GOOD. YOU'VE NOW BEEN HERE TWO YEARS, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE BASIC DIFFICULTY OR DIFFICULTIES ARE BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND PEKING? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO KNOW HOW TO SOLVE THEM WITHOUT IDENTIFYING THEM OR DESCRIBING THEM.

GOVERNOR:

WELL, I'VE BEEN TOLD VERY OFTEN, BOTH IN PRINT AND ΤΟ MY FACE, THAT I'M NOT A SINOLOGIST AND THEREFORE I'M SURE THAT IT'S MORE SENSIBLE FOR ME TO LEAVE IT TO DISTINGUISHED SCHOLARS TO SPECULATE ABOUT THE PRECISE REASONS FOR THE DIFFICULTIES WE'VE HAD IN OUR RELATIONSHIP. I DON'T THINK THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG LISTENING TO THE MATTER OF FACT. SENSIBLE PROPOSALS WE'VE PUT FORWARD TODAY WOULD FIND IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND IF THERE WASN'T OVER THE COMING WEEKS AND MONTHS A PRETTY POSITIVE RESPONSE. I THINK THEY WOULD BE PRETTY PUZZLED BY THAT. BUT I'M HOPING FOR THE BEST THERE'S NOT MUCH POINT IN DOING OTHER THAN THAT HOPING FOR THE BEST AND WORKING FOR THE BEST. AND IF I'M WRONG, THEN THOSE WHO DECLINE TO GO BACK TO ONE OF MY WORN OUT METAPHORS TO HIT THE BALL BACK OVER THE NET' THEY WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT IN DUE COURSE.

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