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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
QUESTIONER: WONG YUK-WING, TVB NEWS THE NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE REPEATED AGAIN. THE DARK?
:
SO OUR EXPERIENCE OF
SO WE WILL BE KEPT IN
PRIME MINISTER I THINK YOU WILL FIND THAT THEY WILL KEEP VERY CLOSELY IN TOUCH.
Q 27. WILL YOU DISCUSS WITH PRESIDENT REAGAN THE CONCEPT OF ONE- COUNTRY TWO-SYSTEMS+ DURING YOUR COMING VISIT TO WASHINGTON?
PRIME MINISTER WILL I DISCUSS THAT CONCEPT? | DOUBT VERY MUCH WHETHER THAT WILL PLAY A MAJOR PART IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ALTHOUGH I SHALL, OF COURSE THANK THE PRESIDENT FOR THE WAY IN WHICH THEY WELCOMED THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT AND LOOK FOR THE IR SUPPORT IN ITS IMPLEMENTATION IN THAT THEY WILL KEEP THE IR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. AND, OF COURSE, I HOPE THAT AMERICAN INVESTORS WOULD KEEP THEIR CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. BUT THE CONCEPT OF ONE-COUNTRY TWO-SYSTEMS+ IS A CONCEPT. I BELIEVE, OF CHAIRMAN DENG XIAOPING AND ACCEPTED BY CHINA IN HER SIGNING OF THE AGREEMENT AND IT IS A CONCEPT AND IT WILL WORK.
Q 28. HELENE CHUNG, AUSTRAL IAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION: PRIME MINISTER, HOW DO YOU JUSTIFY GOING TO WAR OVER THE FALKLANDS ISLANDS WHEN THE SMALL POPULATION THERE DIDN'T WISH TO BE ABSORBED INTO ARGENTINA AND GIVING INTO COMMUNIST CHINA SO EASILY, AND HAND ING OVER THE FIVE AND A HALF-MILLION PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO COMMUNIST CHINA, WHEN SO MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE VOTED WITH THE IR FEET TO LEAVE THAT COUNTRY?
PRIME MINISTER DO NOT QUITE UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN IGNORE THE LEASE WHICH TERMINATES IN 1997 AND EVERY QUESTION WHICH HAS BEEN PUT ON THE BASIS THAT YOU HAVE PUT THERE HAS IGNORED THAT FUNDAMENTAL FACT. I DID NOT FIND IT WAS BEING IGNORED IN HONG KONG, THAT FUNDAMENTAL FACT. I FOUND THAT PEOPLE WANTED CONFIDENCE AND REASSURANCE ABOUT POST-1997, REAL ISING THAT UNLESS WE ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IN 1997, THEREFORE WE NEGOTIATED WITH CHINA CHINA AND WE WERE BOTH ANXIOUS THAT THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG SHOULD CONTINUE - AND THE AGREEMENT IS THE RESULT. I THINK YOU WILL FIND THAT HAD THERE NOT BEEN AN AGREEMENT NOW, HAD WE NOT ENTERED INTO TALKS, HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD HAVE CAUSE TO BE CONCERNED BECAUSE UNCERTAINTY IS ALWAYS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. WE HAVE GOT AN AGREEMENT AND IT HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY ACCEPTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
Q 29. THE INTERNATIONAL TREATIES WERE THE ONES THAT YOU CITED TWO YEARS AGO WHEN YOU WENT TO BEIJING WHEN, AT THAT POINT, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY STATED THAT IT WANTED HONG KONG BACK.
THE TREATIES WERE THE ONES YOU STOOD BY AT THAT POINT. WHAT, DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS, HAS CAUSED THE CHANGE?
PRIME MINISTER WE HAVE, AS I HAVE INDICATED, NOW FREELY ENTERED INTO A NEW AGREEMENT WHICH WE REGARD AS LEGALLY BINDING, FREELY ENTERED INTO. AND OUR CONCERN NOW IS TO IMPLEMENT THAT AGREEMENT AND TO HONOUR IT TO THE FULL WHICH BOTH SIDES WILL.
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