WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1983
9
A: +1 MUST SAY, IF I MAY SAY SO, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A PROFESSION TO FOLLOW BUT YOU JOURNALISTS DO SOMETIMES LIKE DRAMATISING THINGS - MY GOSH YOU SURE DO. THE BANK AFFAIR WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, OF COURSE, HAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER - NOTHING WHATSOEVER - TO DO WITH THE BROAD CONFIDENCE FACTOR IN HONG KONG. I THINK IF I MAY SAY THIS: +I'M SURE THAT THE JOURNAL ISTS WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND IN YOUR OWN WAY, JUST AS I HAVE TO TAKE A LEAD IN CERTAIN FIELDS, SO JOURNALISTS HAVE TO, AND I THINK YOU CAN HELP EY NOT SEEKING TO DRAMATISE THE SITUATION IN THE WAY THAT PERHAPS YOU DIDN'T MEAN BUT SOUNDED LIKE IT, BY LINKING A HELL OF A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER. REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR SIGHTS ON THE LONG TERM, WE HAVE TO KEEP COOL, WE HAVE TO KEEP CALM. WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE ANXIETIES, THAT THERE WILL BE
BUFFETING AND THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN. AND IF WE DO THAT I THINK THAT
IF WE FEEL - AND AGAIN WE WILL DO THE BEST SERVICE TO OUR PEOPLE.
1 MUST SAY FRANKLY TO YOU YOU'RE A JOURNALIST, I'M A POLITICIAN, YOU KNOW THAT POLITICIANS LIKE TO COMMUNICATE - IF WE FEEL WE CAN SAY SOMETHING THAT'S USEFUL AND HELFUL, AND INDEED SIR PERCY CRADOCK STRESSED THAT THE TALKS LAST WEEK WERE USEFUL, WE WILL SAY
AND WE WILL TAKE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN TO INFORM THE PEOPLE C HONG KONG OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING, BUT HAVE JUST IN MY OPENING STATEMENT MENTIONED TO YOU ONE POINT WHICH I THINK YOU MAY WISH TO NOTE AGAIN, THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL BE BACK FOR DISCUSSIONS IN LONDON NEXT WEEK.
Q: +MINISTER, YOU HAVE MENTIONED THE BASIC STRAND OF OPINION WHICH YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED DURING YOUR VISIT HERE WHICH TALKED ABOUT THE FREEDOM THAT EXISTS IN HONG KONG. IN THE PAST WE'VE HEARD AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT BRITAIN AND CHINA WORKING TOGETHER TO PRESERVE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO STATE THAT BRITAIN ALSO REMAINS COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE BASIC RIGHTS TO FREEDOM AS THEY EXIST IN HONG KONG?
A: +WELL, I THINK HERE THE ANSWER IS LET ME REAFFIRM THE STRENGTH OF OUR COMMITMENT TO A SOLUTION WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AS WELL AS TO BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA. NOW IT FOLLOWS FROM THAT, DOES IT NOT, THAT SOMETHING THAT IS ACCEPTABLE MUST MEAN NOT ONLY THE RETENTION BUT
AND THE CONTINUING CONSTRUCTION OF A STABLE AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETY. IT FLOWS FROM THAT THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN FACTORS THAT GO TO MAKE UP THAT STABLE AND PROSPEROUS SOCIETY, AND THAT MUST BE AT THE HEART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WE ARE HAVING AND THAT REMAINS VERY MUCH THE OVER-RIDING OBJECTIVE OF OUR GOVERNMENT. AND LET ME JUST POSE THIS IF YOU LIKE AS A QUESTION, THE IDENTIFICATION OF COMMON INTEREST: IN WHOSE INTERESTS CAN IT CONCEIVABLY BE FOR HONG KONG NOT TO BE PROSPEROUS AND STABLE?
MR ROBERTS: +WE'VE GOT TIME FOR JUST TWO MORE QUESTIONS.
Q+IT IS