;
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responsibility.
We are committed to carrying out these
responsibilities in full. We shall continue to provide
the framework within which the Hong Kong Government can
administer the territory effectively and plan for its future.
We are fully aware of the need to maintain the fabric of
Kak Government in Hong Kong in good shape, with all that implies.
My Hon Friend referred to the vital need to maintain
confidence in Hong Kong. I can assure him that Her Majesty's
Government are deeply aware of the need to sustain the
confidence of the people in the period of change which lies
ahead. I believe that this perception is shared by the
Chinese Government. For our part, we are committed to
maintaining confidence by working for a detailed, binding
agreement, enshrining arrangements to assure a high degree of
continuity in Hong Kong's system and lifestyle.
But confidence is also internally generated. Of course
we understand the anxieties of the Hong Kong people caused by
the uncertainties they feel about the future. The need to
preserve the confidentiality of the present negotiations
also causes frustration. But I am sure that the Hong Kong
people, who over many decades have shown an unusual degree
of resilience, realism and determination, will face the future
in this same constructive spirit.
/One