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SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1954
QUESTION FOUR:
DO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ACCEPT DENG'S SUGGESTION CIPLE AND IF YES, UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS THE BRITISH VERNMENT WILL ACCEPT THAT SUGGESTION?
ANSWER:
I AM SORRY I WILL HAVE TO ASK YOU TO READ THAT AGAIN ECAUSE I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION.
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I MEAN DENG'S SUGGESTION TO ESTABLISH THE JOINT WORKING GROUP. DOES THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ACCEPT IT IN PRINCIPLE AND, IF YES, UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS.
ANSWER:
+NOW LET'S JUST GO BACK AGAIN TO WHAT I HAVE ALREADY SAID. QUITE APART FROM THE FACT THAT THE TALKS REMAIN CONFIDENTIAL, ALTHOUGH WE HAVE, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE DID BACK IN APRIL, REVEAL SOMETHING OF THE APPROACH TO OUR TALKS, THE KEY PART OF THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION MUST BE, WHAT I HAVE SAID NOW, I THINK AT LEAST TWICE IF NOT THREE TIMES, IT MUST BE SEEN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF OUR FIRM INTENTION TO MAINTAIN AUTHORITY UNTIL 1997. THIS IS REALLY A KEY FACTOR AND I ASK YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT I AM SAYING.
QUESTION FIVE:
I AM NOT SURE THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL BE GREATLY COMFORTED TO LEARN THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. AFTER ALL, THERE IS SUCH A THING AS RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT POWER AND POWER WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY. PEOPLE HERE WANT TO KNOW WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL MAINTAIN POWER AS WELL AS RESPONSIBILITY BETWEEN NOW AND 1997?
ANSWER:
EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH RESPONSIBILITY. IT IS OUR OBLIGATION, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL 1997. THERE MUSN'T BE ANY DOUBTS ABOUT THAT. I SHOULD JUST SAY IN PASSING THAT OF COURSE, VERY SHORTLY, YOU WILL BE GETTING, ALTHOUGH THIS IS NOT DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUR QUESTION, YOU WILL BE GETTING ON WEDNESDAY THE PLAN IS, THE ANNOUNCEMENT THROUGH A GREEN PAPER OF THE PROPOSALS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. NOW THIS IS ALL TO BE DONE DURING THE COURSE OF THE PERIOD OF BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY. AND WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE PERIOD OF THE NEXT 13 YEARS. THAT WILL BE ANOTHER IMPORTANT STAGE WHERE PEOPLE CAN EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. I DO ATTACH, AND SO DOES SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, IMPORTANCE TO THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.
/QUESTION SIX: