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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984
Q. I WAS SURPRISED THAT YOU HAVE SKIRTED VARIOUS QUESTIONS CN NATIONAL ITY OVER THE COURSE OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE. SURELY THE FACT THAT THE NATIONAL ITY ISSUE IS STATED IN A MEMORANDUM IS BECAUSE IT ISN'T PART OF THE AGREEMENT. IT ISN'T PART OF THE AGREEMENT BECAUSE BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED TO DISAGREE AND BRITAIN HAS TO MAKE THE BEST OF WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY A BAD JOB IN THAT AREA.
A. NO. I THINK WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED TO AGREE ON A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE POSITIONS OF BOTH SIDES. THERE IS IN THAT EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA A VERY PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT WHICH GIVES THOSE WHO WILL BE AFFECTED - THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS A NEW STATUS WHICH WILL ALLOW THEM TO TRAVEL AS THEY WOULD WISH, OR AS MANY AS WOULD WISH, ON BRITISH PASSPORTS AND THE SAME ARRANGEMENTS STILL GIVE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG A RIGHT OF ABODE. SO FAR FROM BEING AN AGREEMENT TO DISAGREE IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE SPECIFICALLY AN AGREEMENT TO AGREE ON A PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENT.
Q.
TSUI MING-YUEN, WEN WEI PO. DURING THESE TWO YEARS MOST OF YOUR TIME WAS SPENT ON THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. CAN YOU TELL US YOUR FEELINGS AND WHAT WILL YOU DO IN THE NEAR FUTURE?
A. I MIGHT HOLD A FEW MORE PRESS CONFERENCES: I MUST SAY IT IS A VERY SATISFACTORY FEELING THAT AFTER TWO YEARS OF QUITE HARD AND INTENSIVE NEGOTIATIONS WE HAVE EMERGED WITH AN AGREEMENT OF THIS KIND. BUT MY ATTITUDE INDEED HAS ALL ALONG BEEN THAT IT IS THE VERY NATURAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG TO APPLY HIS MIND TO THOSE SUBJECTS WHICH ARE OF THE GREATEST IMPORTANCE AND THE MOST IMMEDIATE CONCERN TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE. AND THAT I HAVE TRIED TO DO, BUT I AM NOT EXPECTING THIS TO BE THE END OF THE ROAD, I THINK INDEED, AS I SAID LAST NIGHT, WHAT WE HAVE IS A BLUEPRINT FOR A NEW STAGE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MY BEST TO MAKE THAT NEW STAGE AS SUCCESSFUL AS I THINK WE HAVE MANAGED TO MAKE THE LAST STAGE.