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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1954
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QUESTION 11: VINCENT TANG, FINANCIAL DAILY, MRS THATCHER, I HAVE A QUESTION CONCERNING THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL IT REPORT FREQUENTLY TO HONG KONG PEOPLE AFTER IT HAS SET UP AND IS WORK ING?
PRIME MINISTER: | IMAGINE IT WILL BE I AM SURE IT WILL BE, VERY CLOSELY IN TOUCH WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT ITS WHOLE LIFETIME. VERY CLOSELY IN TOUCH. I DOUBT VERY MUCH WHETHER THERE WILL BE THE NECESSITY FOR FORMAL REPORTS.. BUT JUST AS WE HAVE TRIED THE WHOLE TIME TO KEEP VERY CLOSELY IN TOUCH WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE WHILE WE HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING THIS AGREEMENT SO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL BE VERY MUCH AWARE OF OPINION IN HONG KONG AND NATURALLY TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS I INDICATED THAT WE WOULD TAKE THE CONCERNS WHICH THE ASSESSMENT REPORT THREW UP INTO ACCOUNT. THE WHOLE AGREEMENT IS FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE AND OUR WHOLE CONCERN HAS BEEN FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE THROUGHOUT, AND THAT CONCERN WILL CONTINUE.
QUESTION 12, SPENCER CHAN, ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS: MY QUESTION IS ALSO ABOUT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. WITH ONLY SIX MONTHS AHEAD, WHICH IS QUITE A SHORT TIME, THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL BE FULLY OPERATIONAL. HAVE YOU DISCUSSED WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS THE COMPOSITION OF THE GROUP AND COULD YOU REVEAL WHO THE FIVE MEMBERS ARE OF THE BRITISH SIDE AND WHETHER THE HONG KONG GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD AND HIS POLITICAL ADVISER, MR MCLAREN, WOULD BE MEMBERS OF THE GROUP IN THE FUTURE?
PRIME MINISTER: WE HAVE NOT DECIDED THE PRECISE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP. IT IS, OF COURSE AN INTER-GOVERNMENTAL GROUP AND IT WILL, WE EXPECT, CONTAIN ON IT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, BUT HAVE NOT DECIDED THE PRECISE MEMBERSHIP OF THE GROUP. THE GOVERNOR, OF COURSE, WILL BE ON IT. NO QUESTION. THE GOVERNOR WILL BE ON IT. BUT WE HAVE NOT DECIDED THE OTHERS. (THE GOVERNOR: THAT HASN'T BEEN DECIDED YET) WE HAVEN'T DECIDED.. I SEE. I SHOULD BE ABSOLUTELY ASTONISHED IF THE
GOVERNOR IS NOT ON IT.
Q 13. HUGH DAVIES, DAILY TELEGRAPH ARTHUR SCARGILL, A MAN NOTED FOR HIS MARXIST VIEWS HAS BEEN TRYING TO BRING DOWN YOUR GOVERNMENT IN BRITAIN, WHY AFTER A DAY IN PEKING ARE YOU SO CONVINCED OF THE INTEGRITY OF THE MARXISTS THERE?
PRIME MINISTER: THIS IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH HAS BEEN ENTERED INTO WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. IT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO HONOUR THAT AGREEMENT AND IT IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH I BELIEVE, HAVING BEEN SIGNED, THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL HONOUR, AND IT HAS BEEN SIGNED IN THE EYES OF THE WORLD AND IT IS A GOOD AGREEMENT. I BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE HONOURED TO THE FULL.
/Q 14.