XN000022-1996-04-30 — Page 5

4.

—

Question: Do you encourage senior Hong Kong officials to attend Preparatory Committee ...?

Governor: Well. We have been helping Preparatory Committee members. We've been giving them information. I think sometimes people should consider what Preparatory Committee members could do to help Hong Kong. I think that it would be helpful if they were conspicuous by their fortitude and consistency in standing up for Hong Kong. Their own credibility is in their own hands. It's a matter of how they behave. We've been very polite and very courteous and comprehensive in the response that we have given to Director Lu about co-operation with the Preparatory Committee. But just think about the way that's been expressed. People have talked about demands for co-operation which strike me like a contradiction in terms. So I think that co-operation is a two-way street and I hope that the Preparatory Committee will co-operate with us as we are sensibly trying to co-operate with them within the parameters which I've made absolutely clear and from which we will not budge, including of course our views on the Legislative Council and any attempt to dismantle it.

Question: Are you any closer to finalising your position on the 10 demands, and will your position be made public?

Governor: We've told Director Lu what our position is on, let's call them from now on the 10 polite requests for co-operation. I am just trying to remember. It certainly... 1 think it's true to say that one or two Chinese officials have given the impression that we either co-operate on everything or we don't. I mean, there has been a certain amount of that sort of rather unattractive speak. But it won't stop us being unfailingly courteous and helpful.

Question: What is your position on the ...?

Governor: Mrs Chan is answering questions in the Legislative Council tomorrow afternoon and she'll say what we are proposing.

Question: Governor, the Times has a second question about the Vietnamese. You often say that Hong Kong is a society of law. Now we've heard Mr Bresnihan say the Privy Council is very far away and doesn't really understand the situation in Hong Kong. And yesterday Gladys Li of the Law Society said the Government position...Can you

comment on that?