XN000022-1996-04-02 — Page 4

-

3 -

Governor: No. How can you...? I said this morning and I'll repeat it that I saw one headline this morning which said: Chinese Co-operation Threat. Now I'm sure that was a sub-editor's imagination because how can you have a co-operation threat. If you want co-operation, you don't issue ultimatums, you don't make threats. You put out your hand and it's I hoped grasped warmly from the other side of the table. Of course, if Director Lu is able to come to Hong Kong, which we all hope he'll be able to do, we'd like to see him regularly, these are the sort of issues which I'm sure people would want to discuss with him. But I repeat, co-operation is a matter of give-and-take. This is co-operation, I hope, from both sides. Nothing we will do will first be contrary to the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. Second, nothing we will do will undermine the authority of Government and I'm sure that's something warmly endorsed by Chinese officials. And thirdly, nothing we will do will put a strain on the loyalty and morale and integrity of our civil service.

Question: The Government is announcing the release of a number of Vietnamese boat people following the Privy Council ruling. What message will it send to the camps?

Governor: I think that not least now that American legislation has so clearly bitten the dust which was sending out a wholly incorrect message to people in the camps. I think Vietnamese migrants in Hong Kong know perfectly well that the only future for them is to return to Vietnam. That's presumably one reason why the figures of returnees have been going up. That's an extremely important trip by a British minister to Vietnam next week which will both be seeking to expedite the process of repatriation and will also be seeking to deal with one of the issues that's come up in this, or the main issue that's come up in the Privy Council judgement which we want to see dealt with. The question of those people who may have had their applications to return rejected or may be thought to be in a category where the applications will be rejected and we want to take those issues up with Vietnam. But it's important to remember that even though some people may have to be released because of the Privy Council judgement, they don't have a right to stay in Hong Kong. They are released on recognisance and should like the others return to Vietnam as soon as possible.

Question: Governor, would you please try to rectify me if I'm incorrect? You talked in a recent interview with a Chinese newspaper concerning the handover ceremony. You say that Chinese and British sides will be going to agree to disagree to hold the ceremonies themselves, isn't it?