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Her attitude was not that of a colonial power.
She was trying to carry out her duty to the people of Hong Kong just as Mr. Deng did in performance of his duty to the people of China.
Her suggestion was, therefore,
that we should begin talks immediately in order to obtain an agreement which was acceptable to China, Hong Kong and the British Parliament and would preserve prosperity. For if we destroyed prosperity it would never return. Meanwhile it was necessary to issue a very careful statement today. The aim was to maintain confidence.
We wished to be able to say publicly that the two sides had entered into talks with the purpose of maintaining prosperity. She recognised that China had its own position on sovereignty. We too had our own position. But these positions were reconcilable and in that spirit
we could enter into talks.
Mr Deng Xiaoping said that he was very sorry. He hoped we would understand that sovereignty over the entire area, including Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, would be recovered by 1997. That was certain. China had no other
choice. On the question of maintaining prosperity, China hoped to enjoy the co-operation of Britain. But that did not mean that the prosperity of Hong Kong could be not mean the of cou maintained only under British administration. The
maintenance of prosperity when sovereignty had been recovered by China, and Hong Kong was administered by China, depended fundamentally on the policy pursued by China towards
Hong Kong, including the political, economic and administrative systems which were used. The laws enacted in Hong Kong would also be relevant. Of course, some changes would be made. But Hong Kong would remain a capitalist society. Many systems which were favourable to the maintenance of prosperity would remain in the future. He wished to cite, as an example, Singapore. After the end of colonial rule in Singapore it had managed
its own affairs and had done so quite well.
MARET
/He thought