TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984
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A: WELL, YOU HAVE TO THINK OF THIS QUESTION BE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF THE FACT THAT WE ALL WANT THE SOLUTION TO ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT IS OUR DESIRE. AND SO YOU HAVE TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT ABOUT HOW WE TEST THEIR OPINION AND HOW WE GET THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, VIEWS, INCIDENTALLY, THAT, IN ONE SENSE, WE ARE GETTING NOW, BECAUSE THEY ARE EXPRESSING THE IR VIEWS TO US ABOUT THE FUTURE THEY WANT. AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND, WHEN WE REACH A SOLUTION WE SHALL WANT IT TO BE ONE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT IS OUR COMMON AIM, COMMON OBJECTIVE. AND THEREFORE IT HAS TO BE SEEN AGAINST THAT LIGHT, BACKGROUND.
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Q: SO YOU FEEL THAT THE INFORMAL CONTACTS YOU ARE HAVING NOW GIVE YOU ENOUGH OF AN IDEA THAT YOUR FINAL AGREEMENT WILL BE CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE MARK TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?
A: I CAN'T SAY THAT, BY SIMPLY TALKING TO PEOPLE NOW WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF AGREEMENT IT IS GOING TO BE,
IS IN ITSELF A GOOD TEST. THOUGH MY ABILITY TO TALK TO PEOPLE AND TO HEAR THE IR VIEWS DOES, AT LEAST, GIVE ME A PICTURE AND CONFIRMS WHAT I HAVE SAID EARLIER, WHAT I THINK THE IR ASPIRATIONS AND DESIRES ARE. BUT THERE ARE VARIOUS STAGES IN THIS AND, AS I SAY, I CAN'T DISCLOSE NOW BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TAKEN DECISIONS ABOUT HOW WE SOUND OPINION AND GET THE FEEDBACK OF OPINION WHICH IS GOING TO BE SO IMPORTANT TO US.
Q: SO IT IS POSSIBLE THAT YOU MIGHT GET THAT AT A STAGE EARLY ENOUGH TO GO BACK TO PEKING AND SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE ONE OR TWO ITEMS'?
A: WE SHALL HAVE TO MAKE A JUDGEMENT AS TIME GOES ALONG.
Q: THIS IS REALLY A POINT OF CLARIFICATION IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT HAS BEEN SAID - IS IT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO DISCLOSE ELEMENTS OF THE PROPOSALS ON THE NEGOTIATIONS PRIOR TO THE REACHING OF AN AGREEMENT WITHIN THE COMPETENCE OF THE SINO-BRITISH NEGOTIATORS? OR WILL CONFIDENTIALITY PREVAIL UNTIL AFTER THAT AGREEMENT HAS BEEN INITIALLED, IF YOU LIKE, AND WHILE IT IS AWAITING RATIFICATION?
A: I THINK, ON THIS, PEOPLE, OBVIOUSLY, HERE, AND LET ME TRY TO PUT MYSELF INTO THE SHOES OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, THE FIVE MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, ARE NATURALLY, AND UNDERSTANDABLY, ANXIOUS ABOUT THEIR FUTURE. AND, IF THE OBVIOUS REASON THAT WE HAVE GIVEN - IF WE ARE TO TRY AND GET THE BEST SOLUTION THE TALKS HAVE TO REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL IT IS FRUSTRATING. BECAUSE IF YOU ARE UNCERTAIN, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IS HAPPENING, YOU FEEL MORE ANXIOUS AND WORRIED. SO ALL THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE, SO WE MUST, AND ARE, TAKING THAT VERY, VERY FULLY INTO ACCOUNT. I CAN'T ANSWER YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY, BUT I CAN ANSWER IT BY SAYING THAT WE IN LONDON ARE HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO THE ANXIETY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO KNOW, AS SOON AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, WHAT THE PROSPECTS ARE FOR THE IR FUTURE. AND THAT, THE POINT YOU HAVE MADE TO ME, IN THE FORM OF A QUESTION, IS ONE THAT WE HAVE VERY MUCH IN OUR MINDS AT THE PRESENT TIME.
Q: CHINA HAS