QUESTION: ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN THE POLITICAL REVIEW TO BE CONDUCTED NEXT YEAR THE POWER OF THE GOVERNOR AND ALSO THE EXCO AND LEGCO WILL BE REVIEWED AND WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON SUCH CHANGES OF POWER?
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL AGAIN, THE WHOLE RANGE OF QUESTIONS IS OPEN FOR CONSIDERATION AND REPRESENTATION BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DURING THE TIME BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THE REVIEW, BUT ON THAT TOPIC, AS ON ANY OTHER, I CAN'T ANTICIPATE, AND IT WOULDN'T BE WISE FOR ME TO ANTICIPATE WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE. I AM NOT HERE TO EXPRESS THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE I AM HERE TO SAY THAT WE ARE READY TO LISTEN TO THEM.
QUESTION (WRITTEN) WHAT IS THE CURRENT POSITION ABOUT THE SALE OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA? EXCLUDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS, ARE WE (BRITAIN) WILLING TO SELL ANYTHING WE PRODUCE OURSELVES? DO WE STILL REFER TO COCOM IN PARIS?
SIR GEOFFREY: THE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH BRITAIN
AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN COCOM DETERMINE WHAT CAN OR CAN'T BE SOLD, THAT'S WELL UNDERSTOOD, AND WE TAKE AN IMPORTANT PART IN ENSURING THAT THE WORKING OF COCOM, IN RELATION TO CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IS NO MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY BUT IT CAN'T BE SWEPT AWAY.
QUESTION: DO YOU EXPECT YOUR TALKS IN PEKING WILL TOUCH ON THE SUMMIT MEETING THIS WEEKEND IN REYKJAVIK, IN PARTICULAR AS IT AFFECTS THE CHANGING BIG POWER ATTITUDE TOWARDS BRITISH MISSILES AND TO CHINESE CONCERN ABOUT ANY NUCLEAR ARMS DEAL LEADING TO MORE INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILES BEING MOVED TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD?
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SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I'M SURE THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE REYKJAVIK MEETING WILL BE ONE OF THE FEATURES WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF OUR MEETINGS ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY THE PROSPECTS FOR ARMS CONTROL - FOR AGREEMENT ON ARMS CONTROL WILL BE ANOTHER OF THE TOPICS WE SHALL BE DISCUSSING AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AND IN SUCH DISCUSSIONS THE IMPORTANCE OF BRITISH AND CHINESE POSSESSION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL ALSO BE A FEATURE. OUR POSITION HAS BEEN STATED VERY MANY TIMES YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCUS CLASSICUS IN MY 1983 SPEECH TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. YOU'RE ALSO RIGHT TO EMPHASISE THAT ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLE ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENTS IN RELATION TO INTERMEDIATE RANGE NUCLEAR WEAPONS MUST OF COURSE TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE POSITION IN ASIA AS WELL AS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.
IS
QUESTION WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE NEW CHINESE FIGHTER, THE F-8, BASED ON BRITISH ENGINEERING DESIGN INCLUDING THE ROLLS ROYCE SPACE ENGINE AND WE ALL KNOW THAT SOVIET AEROTECHNOLOGY IS ALSO BASED ON BRITISH ROLLS ROYCE ENGINES. $O IN YOUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD YOU BE PERHAPS STRESSING ON FURTHER ARMS SALES TO THE CHINESE. SUCH AS SOPHISTICATED MOTORS AND ENGINES WHICH THE CHINESE DEARLY NEED AND REQUIRE?
SIR GEOFFREY WELL, I DON'T DICUSS ARMS SALES AT PRESS CONFERENCES, IN FACT.
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XH SIÐ SS:02 98. 2T 100
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