XN000022-1995-07-19 — Page 3

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Governor: It's not in any way novel. Before both my last Policy Addresses the Foreign Secretary has met Mr Qian Qichen in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York and told him about the main themes of my Policy Address. I think that's what people would expect to happen. But the main issue this time is whether things emerge in the talks that we'd actually want to reflect in the Policy Address. It's perfectly obvious if we were to make the sort of breakthrough you would like in one or two areas, it would be wrong to draft a Policy Address without taking account of that.

Question: Then would the meeting lead to some slight changes to your Policy Address? Will the meeting between Mr Rifkind and Mr Qian ...?

Governor: If it led to marked progress on issues rather than just general expressions of enthusiasm for progress then I would want like account of that in the Policy Address obviously. Clearly, we would like nothing better than to make real progress on some issues rather than just draft a communiqué which says the JLG should work harder.

Question: But that's your personal Policy Address for ruling Hong Kong. That means you are really undermined in such a way when consulting the Chinese Vice- Premier.

Governor: Are you seriously supposing that if we made progress on say the container terminal or air service agreements or the adaptation of laws in the meetings with Qian Qichen, that shouldn't be reflected in my Policy Address? Ask reasonable questions.

Question: Are there any movement on the war widows question?

Governor: No, there isn't any movement on that. The British Government knows our continuing views on that issue and we'll continue to express them. It is of course the case that the majority of the war widows have now had passports endorsed in a way which makes it clear that they can enter the United Kingdom whenever they want and all those who want it have had a personal letter from the Home Secretary.

Question: After several different this time?

without consulting the Chinese... what makes the

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Governor: No, what makes the difference this time is that Mr Qian Qichen is going to be in London for several days of substantive talks and I think that people would genuinely find it rather curious and confusing if I was to make a Policy Address the same day that Mr Qian Qichen was meeting ministers, setting out my views for the future year without taking account of what Mr Qian Qichen and ministers said, discussed, agreed on.