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Mr Chan Kam-lam (in Chinese): Now the Hong Kong citizens have a wish. If the UK Government wants to show its moral obligation towards Hong Kong, then this kind of issue should be declared expeditiously. Now for this kind of visa-free entry issue, the Hong Kong people do not want this to become a bargaining chip in negotiations with China.

Mr Rifkind: I don't see any reason why it should be a bargaining chip. Clearly until the, the SAR passport hardly exists at the moment except in general form, so we haven't been able to address this question because it is quite an important one, until the information from China was forthcoming. That is now beginning to happen and that's why I say I would anticipate that we will be able to address this in the pretty near future. It will not be a bargaining matter. It will be addressed on its merits and hopefully we can reach a clear and straightforward conclusion.

Mr Sin Chung-kai (in Chinese): Even though it has not been taken up by the Cabinet, I can't really see any reason why the UK Government should refuse to give us visa- free entry. Can you now specifically say that you will recommend to the Cabinet that Hong Kong SAR passport holders should be able to get visa-free entry?

Mr Rifkind: Any recommendations I make to my Cabinet colleagues are made privately, they are not made by public statements. We have collective responsibility as you would expect in Government and therefore we will have our discussion which will certainly include my own proposals on the matter and then we will reach a collective judgement and then that judgement will be announced. That is the proper way for all matters that are the responsibilities of Government to be determined.

Mr Martin Lee: Yes. Foreign Secretary, you talk about the Cabinet soon addressing this point. I can make a wager with you, five hundred pounds to your fifty pounds, that the Cabinet will say no and, you see what worries me is this is another proposal coming from our Governor. When he last visited the United Kingdom he took up another matter, that is the three and a half million passports for the people born in Hong Kong. Apart from admiring him for his courage and clarity of vision, are you going to actually back him up or are you going to ignore him just as he is being ignored up in Beijing?