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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
PRIME MINISTER I BELIEVE THAT THE SOVIET UNION IS SERIOUS IN WANTING REDUCTION IN ARMAMENTS AND, OF COURSE, THE UNITED STATES IS ABSOLUTELY SINCERE IN THAT OBJECTIVE. IT WILL TAKE QUITE SOME TIME TO WORK OUT THE PRECISE FORA IN WHICH THOSE REDUCTIONS SHOULD BE NEGOTIATED. AS YOU KNOW, IT IS A QUESTION WHETHER THE STRATEGIC MISSILES SHOULD BE TREATED AS THEY WERE FORMERLY - SEPARATELY FROM THE INTERMEDIATE BALLISTIC MISSILES. AND THEN OF COURSE WE MUST NEVER FORGET NEGOTIATIONS ON REDUCTIONS OF CHEMICAL WARFARE. WE OURSELVES DESTROYED OUR OWN STOCKPILE OF CHEMICAL WEAPONS MANY YEARS AGO BUT THE SOVIET UNION DID NOT FOLLOW SUIT. THE UNITED STATES HAS SOME, BUT THE SOVIET UNION HAS A GREAT DEAL. AND, OF COURSE, THE CONVENTIONAL FORCES - THAT NEGOTIATION MUST CONTINUE. SO I THINK IT WILL TAKE QUITE A TIME TO WORK OUT THE PRECISE PROCEDURE AND DOUBTLESS MR SCHULTZ AND MR GROMEKO WILL BE TURNING THEIR MINDS VERY MUCH TO THIS MATTER WHEN THEY MEET BUT I BELIEVE THAT BOTH SIDES SINCERELY WANT DISARMAMENT. IT MUST BE BALANCED, IT MUST LEAD TO A FEELING OF SECURITY ON BOTH SIDES, IT MUST BE VERIFIABLE.
Q 22. HONG KONG COMMERCIAL DAILY: MRS THATCHER, DO YOU THINK THAT THE PRINCIPLE ONE-COUNTRY TWO-SYSTEMS+ IMPLEMENTED TO TAIWAN IS AS SUCCESSFUL AS IF IMPLEMENTED TO HONG KONG?
:
PRIME MINISTER I AM SORRY I DIDN'T QUITE HEAR THE QUESTION....I HEARD THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS+.
QUESTIONER WILL THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE-COUNTRY TWO-SYSTEMS+ IMPLEMENTED TO TAIWAN, WILL IT BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS IF IMPLEMENTED TO HONG KONG?
PRIME MINISTER: I HAVE NO LOCUS ON TAIWAN.
Q 23. MRS THATCHER, YOU ARE REPORTED AS HAVING SAID IN PEKING THAT DENG XIAOPING LAID DOWN A TIME LIMIT FOR THESE NEGOTIATIONS TO BE COMPLETED. DO YOU FEEL THAT BRITAIN WAS RUSHED INTO SIGNING THIS AGREEMENT?
PRIME MINISTER NO. WE WERE NOT RUSHED INTO SIGNING IT. I THINK THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE DETAIL DEMONSTRATES THAT. I DO THINK THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A TARGET LIKE THAT YOU DO GET DECISIONS BECAUSE YOU ARE UP AGAINST A TIME LIMIT BUT EQUALLY YOU GET THE EXTRA ATTENTION AND THE TOTAL CONCENTRATION WHICH WE HAD. AND I BELIEVE, AS I INDICATED WHEN WE STARTED THESE NEGOTIATIONS THAT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR HONG KONG TO GET AN AGREEMENT SO THAT PEOPLE HAD CONFIDENCE IN WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER 1997. AND, OF COURSE, WE WERE ALREADY UNDER PRESSURE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE LAND TRANSACTIONS AND THEREFORE WE DID NEED URGENTLY TO WORK TOWARDS AN AGREEMENT AND I AM VERY GLAD THAT WE TOOK THAT DECISION AND VERY PLEASED WITH THE AGREEMENT.
/Q 24.
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