XN000022-1997-03-05 — Page 6

5 -

I think sometimes people underestimate the amount that has been achieved in the Joint Liaison Group, albeit sometimes painfully slowly. But there is still more to do and I hope we can get some more agreements under our belt in March, preparatory to the last meeting before the handover in June.

Question: Will you talk about the handover ceremony? Will the Hong Kong Government agree that the bodyguards of Mainland (inaudible) foreigners can get carry along with their weapons?

Governor: Well, we will behave in the same sensible way that we have always behaved. On the whole, visitors to Hong Kong, even very distinguished visitors, don't come with armed-bodyguards. But there are exceptions, for example, for heads of state and for some very senior visitors. But we work these things out. The Commissioner does it with his opposite numbers in a perfectly sensible way.

I don't think anybody in the community wants to see Hong Kong, at a time when we want to be celebrating, turned into an armed camp, and that is certainly not going to happen.

We very much hope that we can get on with the invitations to the handover as soon as possible. Some invitations are being given rather informally. I am delighted at what Mr Qian said about Secretary of State Albright. It was interesting that he said that because I think within hours of her appointment, Malcolm Rifkind when he spoke to her had also invited her to come to Hong Kong for the handover. So it is nice to see Mr Rifkind and Mr Qian at one on this.

Question: (inaudible) an example of the ground force with the Chinese officials (inaudible)?

Governor: I don't think Chinese officials need to be excessively concerned about their security in Hong Kong. This is one of the safest places in the world, and that is true for Chinese officials just as it is true for the Governor, the Chief Executive (designate) and visitors from other countries and communities as well. But obviously, as I said, there are occasional cases involving very senior officials when we do make exceptions. That is not remarkable. The same thing would happen in other free societies where people don't walk around all the time with large numbers of armed- bodyguards.

But I think what is fundamental is that everybody attending the handover, including representatives from the Mainland and including British representatives, should recognise that with the Hong Kong Police unambiguously in charge of security arrangements, everybody can go about enjoying and taking part in these very momentous events with complete peace of mind. Thank you very much indeed.

End