QUESTION: HOW WILL THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS DIFFER FROM THE PREVIOUS
ONE?
H.E.: WELL, THE PHRASE WHICH THE FOREIGN OFFICE USED IN DESCRIBING THEM THE OTHER DAY WAS A NEW AND MORE DETAILED PHASE'', BUT AS I SAID IN MY TALK ON TELEVISION AT THE END OF MAY, WE HAVE NOT DISTINGUISHED SUBSTANTIVELY BETWEEN THE VARIOUS STAGES OF THE TALKS. I THINK THE ONE WAY IN WHICH IT IS GOING TO DIFFER IS THAT I SHALL BE THERE ON TUESDAY, WHEREAS I HAVEN'T BEEN THERE BEFORE.
QUESTION: CAN YOU TELL US WHY YOU'RE GOING TO PEKING, AND WHOM YOU
WILL BE REPRESENTING THERE?
H.E.: I CAN CERTAINLY TELL YOU WHY I'M GOING TO PEKING, IT WAS IN THE ANNOUNCEMENT IF YOU READ IT. I'M GOING TO PEKING TO TAKE PART
IN THE TALKS, AND WHAT I SHALL BE DOING THERE IS THIS: I THINK THE CONTRIBUTION I CAN MAKE TO THE TALKS IS FAIRLY CLEAR. I HAVE A
VERY DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF HOW HONG KONG WORKS, I HAVE A VERY DIRECT KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE SAYING THEY WANT, AND I
THINK I CAN ALSO SAY WITHOUT UNDUE MODESTY THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THE
DIPLOMATIC BUSINESS FOR THIRTY-FIVE YEARS AND IN REGULAR CONTACT
WITH HONG KONG FOR A PERIOD SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN THAT, SO I THINK
THAT IS THE CONTRIBUTION WHICH I CAN MAKE TO THE PEKING TALKS.
QUESTION: CAN YOU SUM UP THE SORT OF DEAL WHICH THE UNOFFICIALS ENVIEW WHICH HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE PRIME MINISTER AS THE SORT OF, GENERAL FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG? WHAT SORT OF
FUTURE DO THEY WANT?
?
H.E. WELL, WHEN WE WENT TO SEE THE PRIME MINISTER, ALTHOUGH I CAN'T SAY OF COURSE, IN DETAIL THE CONTENT OF OUR TALKS WITH HER, I THINK WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT HAS BEEN VERY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED AND AGAIN, I HAVE REFERRED TO IT ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE SAYING I THINK FAIRLY CLEARLY, IS THAT THEY ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THEIR LIFESTYLE, THEIR FREEDOM TO COME AND GO AND I THINK I SAID IN A PREVIOUS STATEMENT TO DO THEIR OWN THING' AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR CONTINUITY, AND THOSE WERE THE VIEWS WE REPRESENTED TO MINISTERS IN LONDON. THE OTHER THING WAS, THERE WAS OF COURSE THE QUESTION OF THE STATE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG
KONG AND I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO TELL THEM THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE LOOKING FOR PROGRESS IN THE TALKS, AND THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE FACT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE INVITED TO COME TO LONDON THIS DELEGATION OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, AND DURING THAT VISIT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MADE CLEAR VERY STRONGLY THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THEY ATTACH TO TAKING THE ADVICE OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND IT IS A FAIRLY DRAMATIC EVENT I THINK, THAT ALL THE UNOFFICIALS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD GO TO LONDON FOR THAT
PURPOSE. BUT THE SECOND THING IS, I THINK PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE
TAKEN SOME ENCOURAGEMENT THAT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE TALKS WILL
NOW BEGIN IN PEKING AND WE REPRESENTED THAT TO PEOPLE IN LONDON.
QUESTION: DO YOU FEEL SIR, THAT THE DELEGATION YOU TOOK WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?
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/H.E.: