TO US MOST STRONGLY, IS THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THEMSELVES HAVE NEVER, EVER, BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE AND THEY HAVE NEVER, EVER, BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING INVOLVED ABOUT MEANINGFUL NECOTIATIONS; REGARDING THEIR FUTURE. THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS ONE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE NEVER CONSULTED. SIMILARLY, THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT WHAT FORM OF DEMOCRACY THEY WOULD LIKE AND THIS RAISES AGAIN THE QUESTION ABOUT WHO SPEARS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
I AM AMAZED AT THE CREDENCE WHICH IS GIVEN HERE IN HONG KONG, AY THE PEOPLE, BY THE MEDIA, AND EVEN BY THE GOVERNMENT, TO OPINION POLLS. AST SAT BERSONALLY TO THE GOVERNOR YESTERDAY, IF THE OPINION POLLS IN OUR COUNTRY HAD BEEN CORRECT AT LAST YEAR'S GENERAL ELECTION, THEN THE GOVERNOR WOULD NOT BE HERE. THE BEST TEST OF PUBLIC OPINION IS BY MEANS OF ELECTIONS
ELECTIONS AND/OR A, REFERENDUM, AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, A REFERENDUM IS NOT A POSSIBILITY, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MAXIMUM DEGREE OF PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN ELECT THEIR OWN REPRESENTATIVES TO SPEAK ON THEIR BEHALF AND TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL SAY ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE LEAD UP TO 1997 AND WHAT HAPPENS THEREAFTER. THANK YOU.
MR HOWELL:
THANK YOU. CAN WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION AND I WILL BRING IN ANOTHER COLLEAGUE?
QUESTION:
MR HOWELL, ON YOUR TRIP IN CHINA YOU HAVE MET QUITE A NUMBER OF CHINESE SENIOR OFFICIALS, AND WHAT IS YOUR COMMENT ON THE PRESENT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, AND DO YOU THINK WITH YOUR MEETING WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS IN CHINA, DO YOU THINK THAT PATTEN CAN PERSUADE THE CHINESE SIDE TO ACCEPT HIS PROPOSALS OR PATTEN HAS TO MAKE MORE CONCESSIONS?
MR HOWELL:
WELL THE FIRST QUESTION WE CAN GIVE OUR OPINION, ON THE BASIS OF AN ADMITTEDLY BRIEF VISIT, WHICH IS THAT WE WERE GREETED RATHER WARMLY IN CHINA, THAT THE LONG TERM RELATIONSHIP IS GOOD, OR I SHOULD SAY, I SUPPOSE, POTENTIALLY GOOD, AND THIS COMMITTEE'S REMIT IS TO LOOK BOTH AT THE SHORTER TERM PROBLEMS WHICH ARISE FROM DIFFERENCES OVER HONG KONG BUT EQUALLY AT THE LONGER TERM SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP AND HOW IT CAN BE STRENGTHENED, AND WE FOUND THE AUGERS, THE PROSPECTS, FOR THAT, GOOD. THAT WE SEE WAYS IN WHICH BRITAIN CAN CONTRIBUTE TO AND INVOLVE ITSELF IN A POSITIVE WAY IN THE CHINESE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE GENERAL OPENING OF THE CHINESE ECONOMY AND THAT WAS SIGNIFIED TO US IN WARM TERMS. NONE OF THAT OF COURSE DETRACTS FROM THE FACT THAT THERE ARE THESE DIFFERENCES OVER THE SHORTER TERM SITUATION. SO THAT I CAN ANSWER.
THE SECOND POINT I CAN'T REALLY ANSWER. I DON'T THINK MY COLLEAGUES CAN EITHER. 1 MEAN WE ARE NOT THE GOVERNMENT, WE ARE NOT IN A NEGOTIATION OR DISCUSSIONS, AND THESE ARE MATTERS WHERE OBVIOUSLY BOTH SIDES ARE TRYING TO SEEK AGREEMENT ALTHOUGH IN
JA
MY VIEW IT SHOULD NOT BE AT ANY PRICE AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
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