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BUT THERE MUST BE NO DOUBT THAT BRITISH AUTHORITY REMAINS UNTIL
1997: OBVIOUSLY WE WANT THE SMOOTHEST POSSIBLE PERIOD OF
STABILITY BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER IT. THAT CLEARLY IS AN OBJECTIVE
FOR BOTH THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS.
(C) KOMORI: IF I MAY GO BACK BRIEFLY TO THIS CHINESE PROPOSAL FOR A JOINT COMMISSION, WERE YOU SAYING THAT CONTINUING BRITISH AUTHORITY FOR 13 YEARS WOULD NOT BE CONSISTENT WITH THE IDEA OF
THIS ESTABLISHMENT OF A JOINT COMMISSION?
MR LUCE: WELL LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY: CONTINUATION OF BRITISH
AUTHORITY IS ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL TO STABILITY BETWEEN NOW AND
1997. I BELIEVE INCIDENTALLY THE CHINESE ARE JUST AS ANXIOUS AS WE ARE TO SEE STABILITY BETWEEN NOW AND 1997, LET ALONE AFTERWARDS, AND THAT THIS THEREFORE IS THE FIRST CARDINAL PRINCIPLE TO REASSERT: THAT WE ARE CLEARLY IN AUTHORITY UNTIL 1997: AND ANYTHING THAT THE CHINESE SUGGEST THAT YOU MAY HAVE
SEEN HAS BEEN SUGGESTED IN PUBLIC BY THEM MUST BE SEEN AGAINST
THIS CONTEXT. THAT IS REALLY WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY. SO
ANYTHING THAT IS SAID ABOUT CONSULTATION MUST BE SEEN AGAINST
THE CONTEXT OF FIRM BRITISH AUTHORITY UNTIL 1997.
3. WITH REFERENCE TO YOUR PARAGRAPH 1(G) MR LUCE DID NOT SAY
THAT AN ANGLO-CHINESE AGREEMENT WOULD BE INITIALLED IN SEPTEMBER.
WE CAN FIND NO REFERENCE TO THIS POINT IN THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE
INTERVIEW.
4. CORRECTING THE REPORT WOULD DRAW UNDUE ATTENTION TO THESE
POINTS, BUT IF ASKED BY THE PRESS YOU SHOULD REFER TO THE CORRECT
ANSWERS AND POINT OUT THAT MR LUCE DID NOT EXPRESS DISAPPROVAL OF
CHINA'S PROPOSAL FOR A JOINT GROUP. HE SIMPLY SAID THAT THE
CONTINUATION OF BRITISH AUTHORITY IN HONG KONG UP TO 1997 WAS
FUNDAMENTAL FOR STABILITY.
HOWE
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