XN000022-1996-01-19 — Page 4

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Question: (inaudible)

Governor: Absolutely. She'll be one of the first guests to receive an invitation and I'm sure that she'll want to be here along with all those others who have contributed to Hong Kong's success and contributed to the agreements made about Hong Kong's future. But the most important guests on the 30th of June 1997 will be the people of Hong Kong and I hope that all of the people of Hong Kong will be involved in the celebrations and that includes those who are elected by the people of Hong Kong to represent them in the Legislative Council.

Question: (inaudible)

Governor: She had a question at Tsing Yi Technical College about the Conservative Party and the challenges it faces in the United Kingdom. She pointed out what taxes were under the last Labour Government and how much she cut them, which I think gave some indication of her views on socialism. But that's not something in which I'm able to engage these days.

Question: (on Jardines)

Governor: I don't know. That's a question which he would have to answer. As I said, Jardines are here; they haven't gone away. They have listed in Singapore and that is a commercial decision which you have to leave to them. Of course, there are a lot of companies in Hong Kong, a lot of local companies which have chosen in the last few years to domicile legally elsewhere including some of them in other British dependent territories. I hope that all of them will continue to play a part in Hong Kong's economy because we are one of the most successful; open, free economies in the world and I want to see things stay that way and one way in which we can ensure that things stay that way is by giving people in Hong Kong and business in Hong Kong the reassurance that people want about the fairness of our economic arrangements and about the decency and integrity of the rule of law and the protection of human rights.

Question: (inaudible)

Governor: I don't think I can answer that question. It's sometimes challenging enough explaining what I mean. Explaining what Director Lu means is a thing for him to do, rather than for me.

Question: Does that mean that the British Government has not lobbied for Jardines ...?

Governor: No. I tell you who we have lobbied for. We have lobbied for everybody who contributes to Hong Kong's well-being and prosperity.

Question: (inaudible)