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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984
THERE HAS BEEN NOTHING SPECIFIED IN THE AGREEMENT AS TO WHAT FORM THE ELECTIONS WILL TAKE. THE PERIOD IS, OF COURSE, SOME CONSIDERABLE TIME AHEAD AND WE ARE JUST STARTING OUT HERE IN HONG KONG IN OUR CONSULTATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND THAT IS SET OUT IN THE GREEN PAPER. SO I THINK THE SHORT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS THAT HOW THE STRUCTURE WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 WILL DEPEND TO A GREAT DEAL ON HOW THE COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG WANT IT TO DEVELOP.
Q.
BUT CHINA IS NOT NECESSARILY BOUND TO FOLLOW WHATEVER DEVELOPS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, IS IT?
A. WHAT CHINA HAS UNDERTAKEN TO DO IS TO RESPECT CERTAIN PRINCIPLES WHICH ARE THAT THERE WILL BE AN ELECTED LEGISLATURE, THAT THERE WILL BE AN EXECUTIVE ACCOUNTABLE TO THAT LEGISLATURE AND THAT THE EXECUTIVE WILL BE BOUND BY THE LAW. THOSE SEEM TO ME TO BE QUITE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES.
Q. DINAH LEE, WASHINGTON POST: THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF REPORTS IN THE LOCAL PRESS THAT SPECIAL PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO ALLOW THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK TO HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS OR PEOPLE INVOLVED IN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY WORK OR SOME OTHER SENSITIVE CAPACITY. THIS ISN'T MENTIONED IN THE WHITE PAPER AND I WONDER IF YOU COULD CONFIRM OR DENY THESE REPORTS?
A. IT CERTAINLY IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE WHITE PAPER BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WASN'T COVERED. THE WHOLE OBJECT OF OUR ARRANGEMENTS WAS TO GIVE CONFIDENCE AND TO REMOVE ANXIETIES AND I THINK I CAN DO NO BETTER THAN READ TO YOU WHAT SIR GEOFFREY HOWE SAID LAST NIGHT: IT WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE' HE SAID, THIS IS SPEAKING OFFICIALLY FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, 'TO PLAN FOR MASS EMIGRATION OR MASS DEPARTURE. IN CERTAIN VERY LIMITED CASES CERTAIN RIGHTS WILL EXIST UNDER THE DISCRETION OF THE HOME SECRETARY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM BUT THAT WILL BE ON A VERY LIMITED BASIS FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO SPECIAL CONS IDERATIONS AND SPECIAL FACTORS'. THE WHOLE OBJECT OF OUR ARRANGEMENTS WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO NEED FOR PEOPLE TO BE ANXIOUS BECAUSE WE HAVE SET UP ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH THE IR RIGHTS WILL BE PROTECTED AND THEY WILL HAVE THE PROTECTION OF THE COURTS OF HONG KONG.
Q. L1 CHAN-YIU, HONG KONG TIMES. THE AGREEMENT ITSELF IS BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS, IN OTHER WORDS THAT IS THE MAIN EMPHASIS OF THE WHITE PAPERS. BECAUSE THIS IS A RATHER IMAGINATIVE CONCEPT AND THERE IS NO PRECEDENT, DO YOU FORESEE ANY DIFFICULTIES IN THE IMPLEMENTING OF THE CONCEPT AND IF THERE ARE CONFUSIONS WHAT SORT OF MEASURS ARE THERE TO PROTECT THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG. WHAT I AM REALLY TRYING TO ASK IS WHAT OTHER MEASURES DO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE? DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES: (TRANSLATION) MR LEE OF HONG KONG TIMES. THE QUESTIONS IS: GIVEN THAT THE MAIN FEATURE OF THE AGREEMENT IS THE ONE-COUNTRY TWO-SYSTEM CONCEPT WHICH SEEMS TO BE SOMETHING RATHER IMAGINATIVE, IT IS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND HOW UK IS GOING TO PROTECT HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. DOES UK HAVE ANY OTHER INSTRUMENT TO PROTECT HONG KONG OTHER THAN JUST THE AGREEMENT ITSELF?
/A. THE CONCEPT