THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984
5.
A. I THINK THE BEGINNING OF YOUR ASSUMPTION IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME REASON WHY CHINA WOULD GO BACK ON THIS AGREEMENT. I SEE NO REASON TO MAKE THAT ASSUMPTION. THIS IS A FREELY NEGOTIATED AGREEMENT BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN WHICH THEY HAVE COMMITTED THEIR PRESTIGE. AND ON THESE OCCASIONS WHAT WE HAVE TRIED TO DO IN THE AGREEMENT IS TO ESTABLISH CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE WILL FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THEY CAN STAY IN HONG KONG AND LIVE THEIR LIVES AS THEY HAVE BEEN LIVING ALREADY. SO I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO STAY AND HAVEN'T BEEN LOOKING FOR ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WOULD WANT THEM TO LEAVE. THIS IS, I THINK, THE KIND OF AGREEMENT WHICH WILL BE ABLE TO ALLAY ANXIETIES AND WHICH I FIRMLY EXPECT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL AD HERE TO.
TA KUNG PAO:
Q. FROM NOW UNTIL 1997 WITH THAT TRANSITIONAL PERIOD FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE, WHAT KIND OF PARTICIPATION CAN PEOPLE HAVE TO ARRANGE FOR THEIR FUTURE IN THIS TRANSITIONAL PERIOD.
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A. WELL, I AM ONE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE GET VERY FIRMLY INVOLVED IN ALMOST EVERY QUESTION IN HONG KONG THAT COMES UP FOR DISCUSSION. I HAVE NEVER FOUND THEM BACKWARD IN EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS. BUT AGAIN I THINK WE SHOULD BE DOING OUR UTMOST TO CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING UP TO THE PRESENT TIME, WHICH IS THEY CAN EXPRESS THE VIEWS THEY WISH TO EXPRESS ON ANY SUBJECT AND, OF COURSE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE AIMING TO DO IN OUR GREEN PAPER IS TO EXTEND THE RANGE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FUTURE GOVERNMENTAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG.
EMILY LAU, FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW:
Q. SIR EDWARD, IT IS STATED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION THAT THE CITIZENS OF THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT SHALL BE ABLE TO ENJOY ALL KINDS OF RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS SUCH AS FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OF THE PRESS, ETC. MANY CHINESE IN CHINA RIGHT NOW ARE SUPPOSED TO HAVE MANY OF THESE RIGHTS ALTHOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEM. SO IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP UNDERSTAND WHAT THESE TERMS MEAN TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE?
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A. YES. I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE RESULTS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WAS THAT THERE WAS VERY FULL UNDERSTANDING AFTER ALL WE WERE TALKING FOR TWO YEARS ON THESE SUBJECTS OF WHAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG VALUE- THE RIGHTS THAT THEY VALUE AND WHAT THEY UNDERSTAND BY THOSE RIGHTS, AND OF COURSE, IT IS STATED IN THE AGREEMENT THAT THOSE RIGHTS WHICH ARE ENJOYED IN HONG KONG UNDER THE LAW WILL CONTINUE AND WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE THE PROTECTION OF THE LAW.
/LAWRENCE