1
Peking
Hong Kong
11.
Obligation and Responsibility
'My responsibility as Prime Minister of Her Majesty's Government is to the people of Hong Kong'.
'I regard my responsibility as to the people of Hong Kong as you would expect any Prime Minister to the people of Hong Kong'.
'I speak not only for Britain but for Britain's respons- ibility to the people of Hong Kong. And I would like to make that very clear. We have been having consultations with them and shall continue to do so. Our responsibility is to those 5 million people who have put their faith in us, who have lived under British administration for a long time and who have flourished under British administration. That prosperity and stability is to the benefit not only of the people of Hong Kong, but to China as well and to many people the world over who have invested in Hong Kong. It won't help anyone if it is upset'.
'We are responsible for the Hong Kong people. That is our main responsibility'.
'What matters most to us more than anything else is that we discharge our moral responsibility to the people of Hong Kong'.
'There can be no doubt of the close and continuing link between Britain and Hong Kong...The economic links in themselves indicate our commitment to Hong Kong, although the commitment's much greater than that'.
'I have been at pains to stress that the British Government has a clear responsibility for the Hong Kong people. As leader of that Government what matters to me is that we discharge our moral duty to them'.
'My aim here [in Hong Kong] has been to demonstrate Britain's commitment to the people of Hong Kong and to consult on the task which lies ahead. So, cooperation, confidence, commitment these words sum up what my visit has been about. So far so good'.