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Following is the transcript (English portion) of a media session by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology (SCIT), Mr Joseph Wong Wing-ping; the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS), Miss Denise Yue Chung-yee; and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office (DCEO), Mr John Tsang Chun-wah at the Central Government Offices New Annexe today (January 24):
Reporter: The gentleman to your right, John Tsang, has handed you a hot potato in very quick order in inheriting the review of RTHK and public broadcasting. Could you tell us what your view is of what a broadcaster should be and your view on editorial independence?
SCIT: I don't think it is appropriate on the first day of my job to express any view on the review of the public broadcasting service. I think what is also very important to bear in mind, the review has just started. I believe it will take another nine months to complete and I believe it is entirely appropriate for us to allow the review body to carry on with the work and for the Government to express any view once we've received a report from the review body.
Reporter: Would editorial independence go with your view on that?
SCIT: As I say, I would prefer not to comment on this subject on the first day of my appointment but of course we all know it is very important for Hong Kong to continue to have a very healthy public broadcasting service.
Reporter: John, how do we have to address you there – not secretary any more – director, director is that how we have to address you?
DCEO: Call me John.
Reporter: That's fine. But there's a little bit of argument in Hong Kong with the relation between LegCo, the parliament, and the Government. I have always taken the trouble to explain to overseas colleagues how it really works. If one is going back in history one is finding out that in the mid of the 19th century it was working roughly the same way. We are now in the 21st century. Do you see some kind of room to modernise the interaction between the Government and the parliament to make it a little bit more presentable than it is right now? Because now the interaction looks very strange, to be polite, to a lot of outsiders.
DCEO: I think the interaction between any executive branch and any legislative branch must be a combination of tension and co-operation. I think if we can maintain a proper balance it is a healthy relationship.
Reporter: ......Yue said that she is seconded, Mr Wong may be retiring, you may be moving on, according to rumours, to another position. It looks like you are all interim appointees. Is that the case and do you view this as a stepping stone for you to do something else?
DCEO: So, we are always taking a step at a time and I don't look beyond what I have to do currently. And 18 months is a pretty long time.
Reporter: Did you take the job on the understanding that there would be a ...... (inaudible)
DCEO: Absolutely not.
Reporter: The Chief Executive said that with this post you are going to be building support with the public. Although the Chief Executive has fairly decent support from the public right now, we saw from the march earlier this year that constitutional reform is a sticking point and people are obviously very anxious about this. What sort of ways are you going to try to appease the public on this matter?
DCEO: I don't know if it's a question of appeasement. I think it's more a question of communication. I think we will need to work with each other, communicate properly and work on common grounds.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
Ends/Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:29
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