XN000022-1995-12-22 — Page 3

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Governor: One country two systems. The SAR Government will I am sure be able to look after the stability as well as the prosperity of Hong Kong. And I am sure that Chinese officials will want the garrison in the future to behave with the same sense of the law as the garrison does at present.

Question: Many people are worried that this sort of legislation will be applicable to Hong Kong. So do you think there is a need for the Hong Kong Government to clarify the matter with the Chinese authorities?

Governor: I don't think there is any reason from what we've heard so far to suppose that this legislation is going to be applied to Hong Kong. I think that is just a supposition on your part. But this is a question you should perhaps put to Chinese officials.

Question: (on opening up of Government House)

Governor: Yes, indeed. That's what we've been doing. As you know, Government House has been more open in the last few years than ever before. We have over 20,000 people visiting Government House every year, and virtually every week Government House is used for an outside function. It is used regularly for concerts which are open to the public given by the Academy of Performing Arts and their brilliant young musicians. It is regularly open to charities to hold charitable functions, to raise money for good causes in Hong Kong. So there are, we've reckoned, about 20,000 people going through Government House every year. And what they are able to do of course is to see paintings which used to be in the reserve of the Urban Council, that is paintings that were kept in the basement of the museum. These were paintings that were not on public display before. A lot of them are by modern Hong Kong artists whose work is being shown. And the impression I've had from some of those artists who've come and seen their paintings hanging on the walls of the impression Government House which isn't my house, it's Hong Kong's house that I've got is that they are delighted that their works are on view rather than kept in the reserve of the Urban Council. But it's a matter for the Urban Council.

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Question: Do you feel it is necessary to pay for the rent?