WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 1984
12
QUESTION 16, SUNG SHUK-WAI, SING TAO JIH PAO:
+SINCE THE AGREEMENT IS LEGALLY BINDING, IF ANY OF THE PARTIES VIOLATES THE AGREEMENT, WHAT WILL THE OTHER PARTY DO?+
ANSWER:
+THE POSITION WILL BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS IN ANY OTHER INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT, THAT EACH SIDE TO A BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT WILL OBVIOUSLY MAKE THE STRONGEST PRESENTATIONS TO THE OTHER BY WAY OF COMPLAINT IN ORDER TO GET IT REMEDIED, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT IS THE FOUNDATION UPON WHICH IT IS BUILT, UPON THE FOUNDATION OF NEGOTIATIONS CONDUCTED OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME IN GOOD FAITH IN ORDER TO TRY AND REACH A BALANCE OF THE INTERESTS OF THE NATIONS INVOLVED, BECAUSE IF IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT MEETS THE BALANCE OF THOSE INTERESTS, THEN IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT HAS THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE OF BEING UPHELD AND THE INTERESTS, AS I'VE SAID IN MY STATEMENT, WHICH ARE FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS THROUGHOUT ALL THESE NEGOTIATIONS, ARE THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. +
QUESTION 17, JOHN RODGERS, REUTERS:
+S IR GEOFFREY, JOHN RODGERS OF REUTERS. OF THE REMAINING ISSUES THAT ARE STILL TO BE RESOLVED IN THE FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS, WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT FROM BRITAIN'S POINT OF VIEW?+
ANSWER:
+I WOULDN'T LIKE TO IDENTIFY IN ADVANCE WHAT QUESTION OR QUESTIONS ARE OR MAY BE THE MOST DIFFICULT. I'VE GIVEN YOU IN MY STATEMENT AN EXAMPLE OF THREE MATTERS THAT ARE CLEARLY MOST
IMPORTANT - LAND, CIVIL AVIATION AND NATIONALITY, BUT IF IT WAS POSSIBLE IN ANY NEGOTIATIONS TO PREDICT IN ADVANCE WHICH WAS GOING TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT, THEY WOULD BE LESS DIFFICULT THAN THEY ARE.+
QUESTION 18, DINAH LEE, WASHINGTON POST/INTERNATIONAL HERALD TRIBUNE:
+WILL PEK ING RESERVE THE RIGHT TO APPROVE OR VETO LAWS, NEW LAWS MADE IN HONG KONG? YOU SAY THAT THE POWER TO MAKE LAWS WILL CONTINUE TO LIE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES OF HONG KONG, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER PEKING WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THE FINAL SAY,+
/ANSWER: