017. MARK BAKER, THE MELBOURNE AGE
A..
Instable
SIR GEOFFREY, DO YOU ACCEPT CHINA'S STATED DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER, AND DO YOU REGARD THAT AS BEING A REALISTIC TIME FRAME FOR AN AGREEMENT.
WELL, AS I SAID IN THE STATEMENT, WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF CHINESE WISHES ON THE ONE HAND AND ALL OF OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS ON THE OTHER HAND. BEYOND THAT, AS I SAID IN ANSWER TO AN EARLIER QUESTION, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CLEARLY IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG FOR US TO REACH A GOOD AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THERE IS A MANIFEST INTEREST IN CONCLUDING THE NEGOTIATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR CONFIDENCE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE BUT THE PROGRAMME TO WHICH WE ARE WORKING TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL OUR OWN REQU CEMENTS.
018. ROBERT COTTRELL, FINANCIAL TIMES
A.
سا
SIR GEOFFREY, YOU DWELL IN YOUR STATEMENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC FREEDOMS FOR HONG KONG. NOW THE TYPES OF FREEDOMS THAT YOU DESCRIBED ARE ALREADY PROMISED TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE, IN THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION. ARE YOU GOING TO ENSURE THAT FREEDOMS PROMISED TO HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE WILL MEAN MORE IN PRACTICE THAN THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN PROMISED IN CHINA IN THE PAST.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES, WHICH IS ALSO REFERRED TO IN MY STATEMENT, IS THE NEED TO SECURE CONTINUATION OF THE PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM. THE PRESENT FAMILIAR PATTERN OF JUSTICE, THE FAMILIAR SYSTEM FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK OF LAW OF HONG KONG BASED UPON PRESENT SYSTEMS. AND IT IS ALL THOSE THINGS, THE LAWS THAT ARE ENFORCED, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, AND THE COURTS BY WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, WHICH OF COURSE IN HONG KONG, PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE OF THOSE FREEDOMS, AND IT IS IN ORDER TO SECURE THE CONTINUATION OF THE FRAMEWORK WHICH WILL UPHOLD THOSE FREEDOMS IN THE WAY THAT IS FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. BUT WE DO WANT TO SECURE ASSURANCE ON THOSE OTHER THINGS AS WELL.
019. C.B. LAU, RADIO HONG KONG
¿
SIR WILL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HONG KONG WAIT UNTIL FINAL AGREEMENT BEFORE WE CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.