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Speaker: What I mean is Australia has already issued an announcement saying that they will be working towards visa-free arrangements for SAR passports.
Governor: That's a slightly different matter. I don't think that what you said originally is what the case is. But I repeat what I said earlier, I will be arguing and arguing vigorously that the British Government should give visa-free access to SAR passport holders. And one reason why I will be doing that is because in my view if Britain gives visa-free access then it will be easier to try to persuade other countries to give visa-free access as well.
Speaker: There is one point that I'm very close to you Mr Patten, that is 1 am more interested in political reforms rather than passports.
Governor: No, I think they both matter a very great deal. And for a lot of people in Hong Kong, the question of permanent residency in Hong Kong and the question of passports are absolutely crucial and they matter a great deal to Hong Kong's commercial life.
Speaker: Well, my personal interest is on the political reform package. You have promoted a political reform package but in reality we all know that the three-tier government system will not be able to transcend into 1997. So even if you have the best ideal and it cannot be put into practice that would be empty words. If you are allowed to start again from scratch would you change your tactics for promoting political reform?
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Governor: No, because the question wasn't one of tactics, the question was whether or not you had free and fair elections or not. People talk, which is rather flattering, about my quote "political reform package". What it actually consisted of and I'm sorry in many respects that it hadn't been agreed before was the attempt to implement what the Joint Declaration promises, the steady process of democratisation here in Hong Kong. We tried for the best part of a year to agree a way forward with China. Why weren't. we able to agree a way forward? Was it because Chinese officials wanted more democratic elections, or was it because they wanted less democratic and fair ... why for the district boards or the municipal councils, or for the Legislative Council itself. anybody should tamper or dismantle those arrangements. I think if those arrangements are dismantled it will be very bad for confidence in Hong Kong.
Speaker: Well, a real problem is after the package came out the Chinese refused to communicate with you. But before the package was promoted, had you ever realised that there would be such angry responses from China?
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