XN000022-1996-12-11 — Page 5

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Governor: He is the Chief Executive who's been chosen by the Selection Committee. He was a member of my Executive Council for four years. I had to work very hard in 1992 to persuade him to put a foot outside business and to join my Executive Council. And he was a hard working and committed member of my Executive Council.

Question: But he is a supporter of the Provisional Legislature.

Governor: That is an issue on which we disagree.

Question: What will be the concrete measures of co-operating with Mr Tung?

Governor: Well, I am quite often interest in - how many times I'm asked the same question. And you mustn't accuse me of being unreasonably if I give the same answer. actually set out in some detail my thoughts on co-operating with the Chief Executive in the "Letter to Hong Kong" that I wrote last Sunday. You know perfectly well that it would be totally unreasonably of me to set out in public before I've met Mr Tung, exactly what we think should form our manual of co-operation. He will have his views about the support that he wants. We have of course got some ideas about personnel about office accommodation and so on. But I don't want to set out all that in public before I have a chance of discussing it with Mr Tung. I am sure everybody in the community will believe that's the right way to behave.

Question: But when can this assistance be given to Mr Tung?

Governor: As soon as we've had a chance of talking about what he wants. But I mean some assistance, I am sure, that we'll be helping to ensure that Mr Tung is able to move around speedily and safely.

Question: This morning outside the Convention Centre, do you think the Police have reacted.........?

Governor. I think that every one in this community knows that people have strong views about political issues, they are entitled to express those views within the law. But if they overstep the bounds of what the law says, then the Police have to act and I think that it's important that people do try to express their views in a way which is underwritten by the law which is acceptable in legal terms. I just like to add this: in the last few years, despite the enormous scale of the issue which Hong Kong has been facing and debating, Hong Kong has been a very peaceful and stable place. It's been a place in which political debate has been conducted in a pretty moderate way. We haven't had much in a way political violence, demonstrations have been carried out, I think remarkably peacefully. I hope that moderation, I hope that stability will continue in the future as they've continued in the past. Of course, Governments have a responsibility to try to work to ensure that there is a peaceful and stable and moderate political climate. The government has to contribute to that as well as those who feel passionately about political issues, contributing to it as well. But I want Hong Kong, if at all possible to go on having a reputation around the world for being a decent, moderate stable place.