MR. ASHDOWN:
I REALLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT PUTTING BLAME IN PLACES AT THIS STAGE IS A CONSTRUCTIVE ACTION TO TAKE. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO PUT BLAME IN ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES BUT THAT WILL NOT HELP THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. I THINK THOSE WHO HAVE HONG KONG'S BEST INTERESTS, AT HEART WOULD BE BEST ADVISED TO DECIDE WHAT WE DO ABOUT THE SITUATION WE NOW FIND OUTSELVES IN, RATHER THAN DISTRIBUTING BLAME, WHICH SEEMS TO ME A RATHER STERILE OCCUPATION. LET ME SAY, INCIDENTALLY, THAT I AM ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT - I MEAN WHAT IS HONG KONG'S GREAT GENIUS, WHAT IS IT'S GREAT SKILL IT'S GREAT SKILL IS TO CONTINUE TO PROSPER AND TO CONTINUE TO SURVIVE, EVEN THROUGH AND OFTEN BECAUSE OF UNSTABLE TIMES, AND LET ME BE CLEAR I DON'T WANT TO ROW WITH CHINA, BRITAIN SHOULD NOT WANT TO ROW WITH CHINA, IT IS IN NOBODY'S INTERESTS TO HAVE A ROW WITH CHINA, BUT I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND ECONOMY WILL REMAIN VIBRANT AND STRONG RIGHT THROUGH THE INSTABILITY WHICH MAY NOW BE COMING. I THINK THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT CAME OUT OF THE STOCK MARKET YESTERDAY. IT'S ACTUALLY MY VIEW THAT IN THIS INSTANCE, I HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG, IN FACT I THINK I HAVE BEEN. AMONGST IT'S SHARPEST CRITICS, BUT IN THIS INSTANCE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS GENUINELY TRYING TO DO WHAT IT BELIEVES TO BE RIGHT, WHAT IT BELIEVES TO BE RIGHT FOR HONG KONG. IT DOESN'T MEAN ΤΟ SAY IT NECESSARILY WILL PROVE RIGHT, BUT IT GENUINELY BELIEVES IT TO BE RIGHT FOR HONG KONG, AND IN MY JUDGEMENT IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE AT THE END OF THIS THAT THE PEOPLE WHO WILL SUFFER MOST IS THE BRITISH ECONOMY AND BRITISH BUSINESSMEN, BECAUSE I THINK THEY ARE THE ONES WHO WILL CARRY THE FULL WEIGHT OF CHINESE DISAPPROVAL IN SEEKING TO TRADE INTO WHAT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST MARKETS IN THE WORLD, POTENTIALLY AND GROWING, AND SO I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S VIEW ON THIS, AND AS I SAY I BROADLY SUPPORT IT, WILL BE ONE THAT BRITAIN WILL PAY THE PRICE FAR MORE SIGNIFICANTLY MAYBE THAN HONG KONG
QUESTION:
:
OF
YOU SAY THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE FULLY CAPABLE DECIDING THESE ISSUES FOR THEMSELVES IF GIVEN THAT POWER. IT WOULD SEEM THAT IN THE LIST OF FOUR OPTIONS YOU HAVE GIVEN FOR PATTEN THERE ISA FIFTH, ACTUALLY A SIXTH, ONE COULD BE A REFERENDUM TO SEE HOW HONG KONG PEOPLE FEEL, THE OTHER ONE WOULD BE THAT HE COULD SIMPLY BRING FORWARD A WHOLE SET OF NEW PROPOSALS, HE'S NOT TIED TO HIS ORIGINAL ONES, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WOULD FEEL HE SHOULD.
MR. ASHDOWN: YES, THERE ARE THOSE TWO OPTIONS, I AM RATHER IN FAVOUR OF REFERENDA, I AM A PERSON WHO HAS ARGUED IN BRITAIN THAT THEY DO HAVE A ROLE TO PLAY IN A MODERN DEMOCRACY AND IF A REFERENDA WAS A POSSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, THEN I WOULD BE DELIGHTED WITH THAT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS A POSSIBILITY AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW WHY. I THINK OF THE PRACTICAL OPTIONS BEFORE US THEY ARE THE FOUR I LISTED OF WHICH THE TWO MOST LIKELY IT SEEMED TO ME, TWO FRONT RUNNERS, ARE PUTTING HIS PROPOSALS OR PUTTING THE COMPROMISE PROPOSALS, BUT LET'S WAIT AND SEE HOW IT TURNS OUT.
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QUESTION?
IF I COULD JUST FOLLOW, WHY CAN HE NOT PUT FORWARD A FIFTH: THAT GOES FURTHER THAN HIS ORIGINAL PROPOSALS?
MRASHDOWN:
IT IS OPEN TO HIM TO PUT FORWARD A WHOLE NEW SET
OF
PROPOSALS.
QUESTION:
WOULD YOU NOT ARGUE THAT?
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MR. ASHDOWN:
THIS WEARY
NO. I WOULDN'T FRANKLY.
·
I DON'T THINK ADVANTAGE US
THAT WOULD ANY FURTHER. I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IS AND I CAN FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, VIEWED FROM BEIJING. I UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON THIS, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT A WHOLE NEW SET OF PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD AT STAGE WILL DO VERY MUCH MORE THAN TAKE US ONCE AGAIN ROUND THE ROAD WE HAVE BEEN ROUND OVER THE LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WILL DO ANY GOOD. SO, UNLESS THE GOVERNOR CAN THINK OF SOMETHING THAT I CANT IMMEDIATELY THINK OF, AND I HAVE THOUGHT OVER IT A GOOD DEAL,
CAN'T SEE MUCH SCOPE FOR A WHOLE NEW SET OF PROPOSALS THAT PART COMPANY
SIMPLY WITH WHAT HE HAS DONE AND DOES SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUT IT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.
I
QUESTION:
:
DID YOU SEE ANY CHINESE OFFICIALS DURING YOUR STAY HERE AND ALSO, WHETHER OR NOT YOU DID, WHERE DO YOU THINK CHINESE IS COMING FROM?
THINKING
THE
MR. ASHDOWN: I FULLY UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE POSITION. POSITION IS VERY,
CHINESE VERY SIMPLE. THE CHINESE CHARGE, THE BEIJING GOVERNMENT'S CHARGE, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S STANDARDS: AGAINST
CHARGE OF DOUBLE BRITAIN IS WELL LAID. I THINK BRITAIN ACCUSED OF DOUBLE STANDARDS.
CAN BE I THINK TO HAVE INTRODUCED AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT, JUST BEFORE BRITAIN IS LEAVING HONG KONG, DEMOCRACY THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED LONG BEFORE, DOES LEAVE YOU OPEN TO CHARGE THAT
THE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT LAYS. . I THINK IT IS ALSO LEGITIMATE AND UNDERSTANDABLE THAT IN THE PRESENT SITUATION THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS DESPERATELY FRIGHTENED AND UNDERSTANDABLY SO, EVENTHOUGH I DON'T AGREE WITH THEM, ABOUT A REPEAT PERFORMANCE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SOVIET UNION, THE ECONOMIC LIBERALISATION FOLLOWED BY UNCONTROLLED DEMOCRATIC LIBERALISATION MAY WELL BE DISASTROUS FOR CHINA, AND IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES THEY MAY SEE KONG AS BLAZING A PATH THAT IS DANGEROUS. I HAPPEN TO THINK THAT BOTH HONG THOSE JUDGEMENTS ARE INCORRECT BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND THEM. SO LET'S WAIT AND SEE. THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS I HAVE OFFICIALS OF THE
NOT SEEN CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, DELIBERATELY ON THIS OCCASION DIDN'T WANT TO, BUT I CAN TELL YOU
I ACTUALLY
I HAVE RECEIVED AN INVITATION TO GO AND VISIT BEIJING FROM THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND I HOPE I WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT UP IN THE RELATIVELY NEAR FUTURE.
QUESTION:"
SIR, ARE YOU SUGGESTING NO MORE CONCESSIONS SHOULD BE MADE EVEN THOUGH THE CHINESE SIDE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH THE
MR. ASHDOWN: I AM NOT AGAINST CONCESSIONS, I KNOW THAT SOME, I SPOKEN TO MARTIN LEE AND I RESPECT HIM VERY GREATLY,
HAVE AND EMILY ARGUE THAT CONCESSIONS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN MADE.
LAU, I DON'T THINK THAT'S RIGHT FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK YOU COULD ENTER TALKS WITHOUT BEING PREPARED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS, IT WOULD BE AN ACT OF BAD FAITH IF YOU DID, SO I RECOGNISE WHAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS SOUGHT TO DO AND IF THERE ARE FURTHER CONCESSIONS ON BOTH SIDES, I MEAN I SUPPOSE I WOULD ARGUE: THAT THE TRAGEDY HAS BEEN THAT WHEREAS CHRIS PATTEN. HAS BEEN PREPARED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS, IT APPEARS THAT THE CHINESE WENT THE TALKS
INTO NOT PREPARED TO MAKE CONCESSIONS; THAT SEEMS AN UNCHARACTERISTIC VIEW FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE, SO PERHAPS I AM INACCURATE IN DESCRIBING IT LIKE THAT, BUT IF THERE IS A ACHIEVING. AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC PRINCIPLES WAY OF
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