XN000022-1996-03-20 — Page 3

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Question: (on the future of the UNHCR in Hong Kong)

Governor: I'm sure since you've been in Hong Kong for some time and know the difficulties and complexities of the problem, you'd recognise that giving predictions of dates when people will leave or when things will be finished doesn't make very much sense. But we'll obviously complete the job as rapidly as we can.

Question: Did you meet this morning with delegates from the Conference of European Security and Co-operation ...?

Governor: Yes, I did. I think they're here as part of a trip to the region. They've been in Taiwan; they're going on to China. They're spending a few days here and that I think I'm right in saying that you'd have to check with them. They're visiting some of the Central Asian countries as well. I think they're on a fact-finding trip.

Question: Did you talk about...?

Governor: We talked about issues surrounding present regional concerns. I mean you don't have to be a genius to guess the sort of things we talked about. And I explained to them some of our anxieties here in Hong Kong.

Question: Have you got Mr Lu Ping's reply yet?

Governor: No. But it's for Director Lu Ping to reply. Anytime Director Lu Ping wishes to see me, I'm delighted to see him. You know perfectly well that it's not me who's avoided seeing him; it's Director Lu who's avoided seeing me. All around the world people even though they have disagreements and arguments meet one another and talk. It's only in this unique case of China that people seem to think they can behave in a totally different way to the civilised way in which the rest of the world behaves. But it's for them to explain, not for me.

Question: What are some of the topics that you will be discussing?

Governor: We'd discuss the whole range of issues which are concerning people in Hong Kong. I think there are three that are near the top of people's issues. The first is the whole question of right of abode. Britain has given a clear lead on visa-free access for SAR passport holders from Hong Kong to the United Kingdom, and I think that really underlines the importance of dealing with the right of abode issue, that people are concerned about nationality and abode issues.