XN000022-1996-07-25 — Page 3

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Governor: I am not meaning to be too unhelpful. But I really don't think good it is helpful for me to speculate about what actually happens to any dissidents who may be in Hong Kong. You know perfectly well, the interest around the world in this particular subject and I am sure that interest will be reflected by appropriate generosity on the part of other communities, other governments in free societies, but I don't want to go beyond that.

Question: Governor, why you sent out such a message to an overseas government representative, to the Canadian Government, that the Chinese dissidents in Hong Kong will be endangered after 1997? And you say that that approach remains the position of the Hong Kong Government,why is it so?

Governor: I don't want to add anything to what I have said.

Question: Zhang Junsheng had shown great interest to the list, so, are you going to satisfy his curiosity?

Governor: I answer that question fully and comprehensively a moment or two ago. It was put very eloquently earlier. And, I am not going to add anything to what I have said.

Question: Did you say by making it public... said that secret undertaking ...?

Governor: No. But I think that having said that I don't think it would be very helpful if I said a great deal more publicly on the subject.

Question: Now your policy address, after you are back from your summer vacation, how can you incorporate the changes that will be taking place in the coming few or two months till the day that you announce the policy address. Will you defer it later like last year or how to take into account of the Preparatory Committee decision in the coming months?

Governor: Well, I'll be thinking about my policy address over the next few weeks as I have in previous years. We'll be writing the first draft in early September and aiming to complete it by the end of the month, may be a little earlier than that because I am giving it a little bit earlier this year. And of course, as we have in previous year we'll take account of events as late as we can. Last year if you remember there was a meeting between Mr Qian and Mr Rifkind just before the policy address and I had to reflect that in what I said in the speech itself. But we were able to do it thanks the competence of the Government Printer, and thanks to the competence of our translators who do a very good job.