Lee 2
and indeed you yourself are well-known to many Members of
the Committee individually. You submitted to us a
statement, which is in front of us now, on your views, but I think it would be best if perhaps rather than go through the full statement, you just start with a short presentation of the issues which you regard as the key and most important ones that need now to be addressed by the British
Government, who will be accountable to our Parliament at
Westminster, to whom in turn we will report, in ensuring the
continued progress, stability of Hong Kong and its future
prosperity which concerns us all.
MR MARTIN LEE: Sir, since I took time and trouble to
prepare a statement, may I just glance through it I shan't
read every word.
CHAIRMAN:
Please.
MR MARTIN LEE:
Gentlemen of the Select Committee, I met
most of you in London in December 1987 and I told you what
things were going wrong in Hong Kong then. I am afraid the
position has not really changed much sixteen months later,
when you finally come to Hong Kong. It is not my intention
to attribute blame or cry over spilt milk, my only object is
to make the Joint Declaration work, for that is our only
hope. But what concerned me when I was listening to the
evidence of Sir Geoffrey Howe, and later Sir David Wilson,
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