8
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984
Q:
BUT IS THIS A TWO-STAGE PROCESS IN WHICH THE FIRST STAGE IS AN AGREEMENT ON PRINCIPAL AND THEN THE NEXT STAGE IS A NEGOTIATION ON DETAIL?
A: OH WELL, NOW YOU ARE ASKING ME TO SAY 'LOOK HERE. I TOLD YOU THAT THE TALKS ARE CONFIDENTIAL, NOW YOU ARE SAYING LET'S REVEAL ALL THE DETAILS. THAT'S A GOOD TRY, A VERY GOOD ATTEMPT.
(LAUGHTER). IT IS FOR US TO.. WE ARE LOOKING, OBVIOUSLY, AT EVERY ASPECT OF THIS AND IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL AND I DON'T THINK I HAVE GOT ANYTHING TO ADD TO IT. AT THE END OF THE DAY WHEN WE PRODUCE WHAT WE BELIEVE IS THE BEST POSSIBLE SOLUTION IT WILL CONTAIN BOTH THE PRINCIPLES AND THE DETAIL AND WE ARE WORKING AT A REASONABLE PACE.
Q:
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THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS, IN THE PAST, RESISTED MEANINGFUL SELF-RULE FOR HONG KONG. IS THE GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO ALLOW GREATER SELF RULE FROM NOW UNTIL 1997. AND CAN THIS INCLUDE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FOLLOWING: SOME ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO, AND POLITICAL PARTIES?
A1 WELL, ON THIS WHOLE QUESTION WHEN YOU SAY 'SELF-RULE' ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC EVOLUTION IN HONG KONG? I TAKE IT THAT IS WHAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO. WE AS A GOVERNMENT FAVOUR PROGRESSIVE, DEMOCRATIC, EVOLUTION, OBVIOUSLY IN KEEPING WITH THE SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG. WE HAVE NOTED WITH GREAT INTEREST THE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE FEW MONTHS AND YEARS AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF INCREASING THE DEMOCRATIC ELEMENT IN IT, OF ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES. THE GOVERNOR HAS NOW ANNOUNCED A FURTHER STAGE IN WHICH HE HAS ASKED THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THERE ARE NO HARD AND FAST PLANS, BUT, OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE HAVE IN MIND IS THE LONG-TERM STABILITY OF HONG KONG, AND THE DEMOCRATIC EVOLUTION, ON A PROGRESSIVE BASIS, IS OBVIOUSLY AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS.
Q: CAN LONG-TERM STABILITY INCLUDE POLITICAL PARTIES IN HONG KONG?
A: WELL, I THINK THIS HAS TO BE TAKEN STAGE BY STAGE, AND I SHOULD ADD, THEREFORE, THAT OBVIOUSLY AS WE MOVE FROM ONE STAGE TO ANOTHER THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AS TO HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT DEVELOPED IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR. AND THAT IS WHY THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE OTHER CHANGES WHICH THE GOVERNOR HAS PROPOSED, AS PART OF THIS DEMOCRATIC EVOLUTION, HE HAS ASKED THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE. AND THERE WILL
BE CLOSE CONSULTATION AND THEN WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT STAGE. THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS ON A STAGE BY STAGE BASIS.
Q: FOLLOWING ON FROM THAT: YOU MENTIONED EARLIER CONSULTATION WITH PEOPLE IS THERE STILL THE POSSIBILITY OF A REFERENDUM
IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE FUTURE?
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A OBVIOUSLY THAT IS A FACTOR WE HAVE TO CONSIDER. I DID SAY EARLIER THAT WE HAVE TAKEN NO DECISIONS ABOUT HOW THE PROPOSALS WHICH WE AIM TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, ARE PUT, AND WHAT THE MECHANICS ARE, WHAT THE PROCEDURES WILL BE. WE HAVE STILL TO MAKE A DECISION ON THAT.
/Q#
SORRY TO