XN000022-1995-12-05 — Page 2

Transcript of the CS's media session

Following is the transcript of the remarks (English) by the Chief Secretary, Mrs Anson Chan, at the airport this (Tuesday) afternoon on her return from a visit to Europe and Singapore:

Chief Secretary: I am glad to be back. I'll say a few words first. I had very good visits to Milan, Rome and Paris and signed investment promotion and protection agreements with the Italian and French Governments. There's a good deal of interest in Hong Kong, in how we are preparing for the transition and both Italian and French officials reaffirmed their support for Hong Kong to achieve a smooth transition. There's considerable interest particularly in how we are preparing for Hong Kong after 1997 in the maintenance of the rule of law, continuity in the legislature and I was asked questions quite closely on recent statements concerning the possibility of the setting up of a shadow government, the threat to reinstate laws that have been repealed because they do not comply with the international covenant on civil and political right. So this was a good opportunity for me to bring French officials, Italian officials and businessmen up to date on where we are in Hong Kong and how we are co-operating with the Chinese on resolving transitional issues. I was also delighted to hear whilst I was abroad that the first informal get-together between senior Government officials and their Chinese counterparts went very well. They were conducted in a very cordial atmosphere and I understood that a range of topics were covered. In the light of this first get-together, clearly we would wish to arrange the next get-together as soon as possible. There are a number of detailed arrangements to be sorted out, but as soon as these are sorted out, we would of course announce the date and the officers who will take part in the get-together.

Question: (on Mr Xu Ze's remarks on the two power centres)

CS: Of course we welcome Mr Xu's assurance that there will not be established two centres of power. We have always said that we will co-operate fully with the Preparatory Committee, but it would have to be in circumstances where the effective administration of Hong Kong is not affected and Government's credibility is not undermined in any way.

End