UNCLASSIFIED
100365
MDHIAN 3702
A:
ELSE
WELL I THINK PRESSURE' WAS A WORK THAT WAS USED BY SOMEBODY
HERE BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE OR ANYTHING ELSE, AMOUNTS TO AN EXPRESSION OF VIEWS, STRONG VIEWS, ABOUT THE NEED TO TRY AND SOLVE A PARTICULAR PROBLEM. NOW IN THE CASE OF VIETNAM AND THE REFUGEES, OBVIOUSLY PART OF OUR, A VERY LARGE PART OF OUR EFFORTS AND CONCERNS AND CONTACTS WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT CONCENTRATES ON THAT VERY ISSUE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE IT RESOLVED AS MUCH AS YOU DO.
Q a
A:
(KENNETH MAK) YOU MEAN, DIPLOMATIC CONTACT IS ENOUGH?
WHAT SORT OF OTHER PRACTICAL THINGS ARE YOU SUGGESTING?
Q.
(CAROL BOGERT, NEWSWEEK): AS YOU MUST HAVE NOTICED, THERE IS AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED OVERLAP BETWEEN QUESTIONS ONE AND TWO THAT YOU BROUGHT UP, NAMELY, HONG KONG'S SELF-GOVERNMENT AND THE VIETNAMESE REFUGEE QUESTION. YOU SAID IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION
ABOUT THE ARDENT DESIRE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO HAVE TO TAKE SOME PART IN THE SOLUTION OF THIS REFUGEE QUESTION THAT BRITAIN REMAINS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF HONG KONG. DOES THAT MEAN THAT, UNDER YOUR ADMINISTRATION THERE WILL BE NO ATTEMPT OR NO ALLOWANCE FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HERE, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OR OTHER PARTS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, TO TAKE MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS RELATIONS WITH NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES?
A:
WELL, WE LIVE IN A PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT IS THAT HONG KONG IS A DEPENDENT TERRITORY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THROUGH THAT THE RESPONSIBLITY FOR THE CONDUCT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS THROUGH THE UNITED KINGDOM. BUT DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT
THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THE CONCERNS WHICH ARE REPRESENTED BY MANY OF THE COMMENTS I HAVE HEARD OVER THE LAST DAY OR TWO, ARE NOT FED BACK TO THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT TO MAKE CLEAR SO FAR AS THOSE FOREIGN RELATIONS ARE CONCERNED. SO IT IS
TAKEN CARE OF.
Q.
(TAM MAY-FUNG, TA KUNG PAO): LORD GLENARTHUR, COULD YOU GIVE US YOUR OPINION ON CONVERGENCE OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE POLITICAL
REFORM.
A: WELL, I THINK THAT WE HAVE GOT TO WORK TOWARDS THE FUTURE IN AS A PRAGMATIC AND SENSIBLE WAY AS WE CAN. I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE
POSSIBLE TO CONDUCT THE VERY THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE GOING ON
ON THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE WITH AT THE SAME TIME THE
CONSIDERATION THAT IS GOING ON
THAT WILL STEM FROM THE WORK
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