WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1984
ANSWER:
+ IT IS FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND THAT THE
TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE GROUP DO CONTAIN THE PRECISE PROVISIONS
I HAVE SET OUT IN MY STATEMENT, THAT THEY HAVE BEEN UNDERWRITTEN BY THE PRECISE ASSURANCES THAT I WAS GIVEN VERY FIRMLY BY THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP. THAT MUST ALSO BE SEEN, OF COURSE, ALONGSIDE THE PLAIN AGREEMENT TO WHICH I REFERRED- THAT BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE UP TO 1997 - AND THAT PROPOSITION TOO HAS THE FIRM SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. +
QUESTION 11, WONG YING-WAH, ASIA TELEVISION HONG KONG:
+S IR GEOFFREY, ACCORDING TO YOUR DISCLOSURES SO FAR, THE WAY FOR YOU TO FULFIL BRITISH COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG PEOPLE IS BY SEEKING AN INTERNATIONALLY BINDING AND DETAILED SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT. WHAT IF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE YOU PROPOSE TO SET UP FINDS OUT THAT MOST HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE AGAINST SOME CONTENTS IN THE AGREEMENT? COULD THE AGREEMENT - COULD THAT CONTENT - BE AMENDED? AND,
AND, IF NOT, HOW COULD THE BRITISH SIDE FULFIL THE IR COMMITMENT?+
ANSWER:
+ I THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS IN ANY INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS OR COMPARABLE KIND, BOTH SIDES NEGOTIATE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE, WHICH HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. IF EITHER SIDE WERE TO SEEK TO RESERVE THE RIGHT, HAVING REACHED THE CONCLUSION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, AS IT WERE TO START AGAIN, THEN THE OTHER SIDE WOULD, UNDERSTANDABLY, SEEK TO OBTAIN THE SAME RIGHT. AND THE AGREEMENT WOULD NOT BE EVEN AN AGREEMENT THAT COULD BE INITIALLED. SO BOTH SIDES WORK TOWARDS THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE AND IT THEN HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT THAT WE HAVE BEEN TAKING SO MUCH CARE TO CONSULT WITH HONG KONG, WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, WITH EXCO, WITH MEMBERS OF LEGCO, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANT WHICH IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH, WHEN CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE, CAN BE HONOURABLY COMMENDED TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. IT IS ON THAT BASIS THAT THE QUESTION WILL HAVE TO BE CONSIDERED BUT IF I DECIDED TO TRY AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO START AGAIN THEN IT WOULD BE A MOST INCONCLUSIVE ARRANGEMENT. SO THAT IS NOT THE WAY WE WORK.+
QUESTION 12, MELINDA LIU, NEWSWEEK:
+YOUR STATEMENT MAKES NO MENTION OF RESPONSIBILITY AFTER 1997 FOR INTERNAL SECURITY OR DEFENCE. IN THE PAST THE CHINESE HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT INTERNAL SECURITY, DOES THIS MEAN THAT CHINA WILL TAKE OVER INTERNAL SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CURRENT HONG KONG POLICE FORCE WHO MAY NOT WISH TO REMA IN HERE AFTER 1997?+
/ANSWER:
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