1992-12-04 19:01 COMMS OFFICE (GOVT HOUSE)
852 526 0995 P.16
ד זחיק חחח
A MASA Ady a phat pu
WHEN I WAS IN
GOVERNOR: I DON'T HAVE ANY DIFFICULTIES IN DOING SO.
PEKING ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WAS PUT FORWARD WAS THAT THE JOINT
LIAISON GROUP COULD PROVIDE Å FORUM FOR DISCUSSIONS. I'VE MADE IT
CLOAD OUR AMBASSADOR TO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP HAS MADE IT
PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT THAT IS ABSOLUTELY FINE BY US. WE THINK THAT
WOULD BE A PERFECTLY SENSIBLE WAY TO MOVE FORWARD. IF CHINESE
OFFICIALS HAVE ANY OTHER PROPOSALS I WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO CONSIDER
THEM BECAUSE I'VE MADE IT PLAIN THAT I WILL GO ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME TO
TALK TO ANY ONE IN THE HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE AS SENSIBLE AND CALM
POSSIBLE, BUT PERHAPS T CAN JUST
DI
ULD
SSIONS OF
MIRAD BE A FIIono 10
AUD 1761 & 3. MAN M
REITERATE ONE THING AGAIN.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE SUGGEST THAT
MAN AVA
CO
SOMEHOW
ON SAYING THAT I AM VERY HAPPY TO HAVE À RATIONAL DIALOGUE IS
BANGING MY HEAD AGAINST A BRICK WALL. THE POINT WAS MADE ALMOST TN
THOSE TERMS IN ONE OF OUR NEWSPAPERS THIS MORNING. BUT WHAT IS MÜKE
SENSIBLE THAN ASKING FOR A SENSIBLE DIALOGUE? I'M NOT SURE WHAT IS.
I REPEAT ONCE AGAIN, AND MEAN ONCE AGAIN, THAT IF THERE ARE ANY BETTER
PROPOSALS FROM ANYWHERE I WILL BE VERY HAPPY TO SEE THEM.
EMILY LAU: GOVERNOR, WHEN YOU WERE IN JAPAN LAST WEEK YOU SPOKE ABOUT
BRITAIN'S MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AFTER 1997,
YOU SAID, FOR A FEW YEARS. YESTERDAY YOUR REMARKS WERE CRITICISED BY
A VICE DIRECTOR OF XIN HUA NEWS AGENCY WHO SAID BRITAIN SHOULD NOT
MY VIEW HAVE ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AFTER 1997.
IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. I THINK BRITAIN IS MORALLY, FIRMLY, MORALLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR US FOR FIFTY YEARS AFTER 1997, THE PERIOD COVERED BY
THE JOINT DECLARATION. SO WILL YOU PLEASE TELL US, AND THE PEOPLE OF
HONG KONG, WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY BRITAIN IS MORALLY
RESPONSIBLE FOR US AFTER 1997, AND HOW MANY YEARS THAT RESPONSIBILITY
EXTENDS?
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