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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1983
+NOW AT THIS STAGE I WANT TO STATE AND RESTATE AS STRONGLY AS 1 CONCEIVABLY CAN THAT BRITAIN REMAINS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO THE OBJECTIVE OF AIMING FOR A SOLUTION WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA. THAT REMAINS AS FIRMLY AS EVER OUR OBJECTIVE, AND I WANT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO KNOW THAT IT REMAINS OUR COMMITMENT TO DO OUR BEST FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THAT OBJECTIVE. INDEED I WOULD GO FURTHER AND
SAY THIS: IT IS NOT ONLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT WE SHOULD SUCCEED IN THIS OBJECTIVE BUT THAT IT IS ALSO IN BRITAIN'S INTERESTS THAT WE SHOULD SUCCEED IN THAT OBJECTIVE.
+NOW, I WANT TO SAY A WORD ABOUT MUTUAL CONFIDENCE.
IT IS, TO MY MIND, OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT WE SHOULD RETAIN MUTUAL TRUST AND MUTUAL CONFIDENCE BETWEEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAVING BEEN HERE NOW FOR FOUR, FIVE DAYS, IF I AM TO PUT MYSELF INTO THE POSITION OF YOU THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHO LIVE HERE, AND IT'S MY DUTY TO TRY AND DO SO, THEN, OF COURSE, I ACKNOWLEDGE VERY FULLY WHY PEOPLE ARE ANXIOUS AT THIS TIME. INDEED, WHEN ONE IS A LITTLE UNCERTAIN OF ONE'S OWN FUTURE THEN, OF COURSE, THAT FEELING OF ANXIETY EXISTS, AND I WANT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO KNOW THAT NOT ONLY 1, BUT THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE UNDERSTAND THESE FEELINGS OF ANXIETY.
BUT NOW WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT? WE ARE NOT ONLY TRYING TO PRESERVE ALL THAT HAS BEEN BUILT UP SO SUCCESSFULLY IN HONG KONG, WE'RE GOING TO TRY, AND WE ARE TRYING TO BUILD FURTHER ON THAT SUCCESS SO THAT HONG KONG CAN FLOURISH STILL FURTHER IN THE LONGER TERM.
+THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S PRIORITY IS TO WORK FOR SUCCESS AND I WOULD POSE THE QUESTION: IN WHOSE POSSIBLE INTEREST - IN WHOSE POSSIBLE INTEREST COULD IT BE FOR US TO FAIL IN THESE TALKS AND IN FINDING A SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION? OF COURSE THERE'LL BE TURBULENCE, THERE'LL BE BUFFETING IT MAY TAKE TIME, THE TALKS WE HAVE BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA- BUT I BELIEVE ALL OF US ABOVE ALL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HAVE IT IN THEM TO WEATHER THE STORM, AND NO ONE SHOULD BE IN ANY DOUBT OF THE DETERMINATION OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.
+NOW, I WANT JUST TO SAY A WORD ABOUT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF TALKS BETWEEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
I REALLY DO HAVE TO SAY THAT ALTHOUGH IT IS PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT YOU CANNOT INDULGE IN WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY.
+ INDEED YOU CANNOT NEGOTIATE IN PUBLIC AND IF YOU TRY TO DO SO, THEN YOU ENDANGER THE PROSPECTS OF A SUCCESSFUL SOLUTION WHICH WE'RE ALL LOOKING FOR. IT WOULD BE TOTALLY COUNTERPRODUCTIVE SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS TO SEEK FOR THE COMMON GROUND.
/+A GREAT