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FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1986
Q. SIMON FUNG FROM RTHK.
AFTER YOUR MEETING WITH PEKING
OFFICIALS YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING AND I QUOTE THERE WAS CONVERGENCE IN OUR VIEWS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNMENT IN HK. BUT YOU ALSO SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS NO PRECONCEIVED IDEA ON OUR POLITICAL REFORMS, SO WHY IS THERE A DISCREPANCY THERE?
THERE IS
MR RENTON: DON'T SEE ANY DISCREPANCY AT ALL. CONVERGENCE ABOUT THE.. THERE'S AGREEMENT ON THE NEED TO CONVERGE ON THE PRINCIPLE, THAT IS A PRINCIPLE STATEMENT, IT IS A STATEMENT ABOUT PRINCIPLES, AND IT MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO ALL OF THOSE ... AND FORGET ABOUT THE WORD CONVERGENCE, GIVE ME A BETTER ONE IF YOU WISH, BUT THAT PRINCIPLE OF THE NEED FOR COMING TOGETHER SO THAT THERE AREN'T SEVERE JOLTS MUST BE ONE THAT THE PEOPLE IN HK, WHO ARE PRAGMATIC PEOPLE, WHO ABOVE ALL WISH TO SEE A CONTINUITY OF THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY THAT HAS BEEN THE HALLMARK OF HK IN THE 20 YEARS SINCE I FIRST CAME HERE, THAT THEY WANT TO SEE THAT GO ON. THAT'S QUITE CLEAR, BUT AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THE 87 REVIEW, THE DETAIL OF THAT, I SAY, AND I REPEAT, WE AS A BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE NO PRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD GO INTO THAT REVIEW. WE'RE WAITING TO LISTEN AND TO BE TOLD THROUGH THE HK GOVERNMENT. EQUALLY I HAVE TO SAY I DON'T THINK THAT THE CHINESE AT THIS EARLY STAGE HAVE ANY PRECONCEIVED IDEAS ABOUT WHAT SHOULD GO INTO THE BASIC LAW.
Q. CLAUDIA MO, AFP. SIR, WHY DID YOU FAIL TO MENTION THE WISHES OF HK PEOPLE ALTOGETHER IN YOUR STATEMENTS IN PEKING?
MR RENTON : I'M NOT AWARE THAT I DID AND IN ANY CASE I HAVE JUST MADE IT ABSOLUTELY PLAIN NOW IN MY STATEMENT, IN WHAT I HAVE SAID, AND SO I RE-EMPHASISE THAT OF COURSE THE WISHES OF HK PEOPLE HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT IN PEKING,
I PERHAPS I WASN'T ASKED THE RIGHT QUESTION.
Q.
HUGH DAVIES, DAILY TELEGRAPH IF DURING THIS REVIEW THERE'S A MOVE FROM LEGCO FOR DIRECT ELECTIONS, WHAT WOULD BE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE ?
I'M NOT MR RENTON : THAT'S A TOTALLY HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION. PREPARED TO GIVE HYPOTHETICAL ANSWERS TO HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS ABOUT SITUATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS THAT DON'T YET EXIST.
Q. HUGH DAVIES BUT SURELY THIS AGREEMENT IS BASED ON A HYPOTHETICAL CONCEPT THAT CAPITALISM AND COMMUNISM CAN EXIST IN A MARXIST STATE?
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MR RENTON :