VS076/84
918184
QUESTION: (REGARDING POST-1997 ADMINISTRATION)
ANSWER: AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, WE HAVE ALREADY REACHED AGREEMENT ON MANY IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF CONTINUED HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION AND CONTROL OF MANY IMPORTANT FEATURES OF THE SOCIO ECONOMIC LIFE OF HONG KONG. ALL THAT IS BEING NEGOTIATED IN THE CONTEXT AND WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A SYSTEM WHICH WILL PERMIT THE CONTINUANCE OF A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG KONG.
QUESTION: CON HONG KONG MEMBERSHIP OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS).
ANSWER: WHAT I HAVE SAID IS THAT THE PRESENT STATUS OF HONG KONG IS SOMETHING WHICH IS OF IMPORTANCE, BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE NOT JUST IN THE GATT BUT IN OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS · AN IMPORTANT INDEPENDENT POSITION WITH A NUMBER OF INDEPENDENT RIGHTS ALREADY SET OUT FOR HONG KONG AND THE IMPORTANT THING WHICH, AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, THE AGREEMENT WILL SECURE IS A CONTINUANCE OF THAT SAME DEGREE OF INDEPENDENT POSITION WHICH HONG KONG NOW ENJOYS, ALTHOUGH UNDER DIFFERENT AUSPICES.
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QUESTION: CON THE CONFLICT BETWEEN CHINESE COMMUNISM AND HONG
KONG CAPITALISM)
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ANSWER: I THINK THE CONCEPT AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT OF TWO SYSTEMS WITHIN ONE COUNTRY WITH PLAIN EXPRESS AND CLEAR PROVISION IN THE AGREEMENT FOR THE CONTINUED EXISTENCE OF HONG KONG'S CAPITALIST SYSTEM IS A MOST IMPORTANT VISION. IT IS A MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF STATESMANSHIP TO HAVE VISUALIZED THAT ARRANGEMENT
THE TWO SYSTEMS TO EXIST ALONGSIDE EACH OTHER IN ONE COUNTRY IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SECURE THE RIGHT CONCLUSIONS IN THE AGREEMENT I THINK THE BEST ASSURANCE OF THAT PROSPECT WHICH IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ONE, IS A BINDING CLEAR INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE IN OUR RECENT TALKS IN PEKING MADE VERY SUBSTANTIAL STRIDES TOWARDS ACHIEVING JUST THAT.
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QUESTION: (IN EFFECT IS THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP LIKELY TO INTERFERE IN RUNNING HONG KONG?)
IN MIND THAT THE PRECISE PROVISIONS
ANSWER: IT IS FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU HAVE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE GROUP DO CONTAIN THE THAT I DESCRIBED IN MY STATEMENT AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN UNDERWRITTEN BY THE PRECISE ASSURANCES THAT I WAS GIVEN VERY FIRMLY BY THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP THAT MUST ALSO BE SEEN, OF COURSE ALONGSIDE THE SAME AGREEMENT TO WHICH I REFERRED THAT BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE UP TO 1997 AND THAT PROPOSITION TOO HAS THE FIRM SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
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QUESTION: WHAT IF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WANT THE AGREEMENT
AMENDED?
ANSWER: I THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS. IN ANY INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS OR A COMPARABLE KIND, BOTH SIDES NEGOTIATE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE, WHICH HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. IF EITHER SIDE WERE TO SEEK TO RESERVE THE
HAVING REACHED THE CONCLUSIONS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS
RIGHT
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AS IT
PAG