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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1987
Q.
(LORNA WORKMAN): WHAT ABOUT YOUR GOVERNMENT'S INTEREST IN AND COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG?
A:
WELL, I THINK 1 DESCRIBED THAT QUITE CLEARLY AT THE BEGINNING SO I THINK IF YOU READ INITIAL STATEMENT,
1
YOU'LL SEE THAT ! MADE THAT PERFECTLY CLEAR.
Q.
A:
(LORNA WORKMAN): 'COMMITMENT' PERHAPS, BUT NOT INTEREST'
NO, YOU ARE QUITE WRONG. I AM SORRY. THERE 1S A VERY KEEN INTEREST AND I CERTAINLY HAVE NOT DETECTED ANY LACK OF INTEREST FROM THE MANY DEBATES WE'VE HAD IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, LET ALONE IN OTHER PARTS OF GOVERNMENT.
Q.
(BERNARD FONG): NO ONE IS DENYING OR DOUBTING YOUR INTEGRITY, SIR. WE TRUST YOU IN FULL AND WE TRUST THE BRITISH GOVERNMNENT IN FULL. BUT I THINK WE MUST REGISTER ONE FACT, THAT HONG KONG INTEREST IN THE EYE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS SECONDARY TO RELATIONS WITH THE MAINLAND, WITH THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. AND THAT'S ONE REALITY WE MUST ADDRESS BECAUSE WE HAVE 5.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN A CRUCIAL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT, FACING AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE.
A:
NO, WHAT YOU SUGGEST IS NOT SO AT ALL. OBVIOUSLY THERE HAS ΤΟ BE DIALOGUE WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF CHINA ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES BUT OUR COMMITMENT TO THE TERRITORY OF HONG KONG AND TO ITS PEOPLE REMAINS A KEY PART OF OUR FOREIGN POLICY AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE
SO.
Q.
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(ROBIN MACPHERSON, AFP): COULD YOU REPEAT AGAIN 1 KNOW YOU ADDRESSED IT EARLIER JUST REPEAT AGAIN, WHAT IS IT EXACTLY YOU ASKED THE AMBASSADOR TO HANOI TO BRING UP WITH THE VIETNAMESE AGAIN?
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A:
WHAT I ASKED OUR AMBASSADOR, THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR TO HANOI, TO DO IS TO MAKE A FURTHER APPROACH ΤΟ THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT, WHEN HE RETURNS TO HANOI, TO CONTINUE DEVELOP THE EFFORTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE, BOTH BY HIM BEFORE AND THROUGH OTHER MEANS. IT IS IN ORDER TO TRY AND STRENGTHEN WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY DONE BY WAY OF MAKING REPRESENTATIONS ON THIS DIFFICULT ISSUE.
Q.
(SALLY BLYTH): COULD 1 JUST FOLLOW-UP? DOES THAT MEAN EXTRA PRESSURE ON THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT?
A:
WELL I MEAN, I SUPPOSE YOU CAN INTERPRET IT AS SUCH
IF AN AMBASSADOR GOES IN TO SEE A SENIOR MEMBER OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT TO EXPLAIN THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE HERE TO ME AND ΤΟ OTHERS ON THIS DIFFICULT ISSUE, THEN YOU CAN CALL THAT PRESSURE, WHETHER OR NOT, I SAID, THE VIETNAMESE WOULD ACTUALLY RESPOND POSITIVELY, 1 AM NOT SURE. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I DON'T HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE AT THE MOMENT THAT IT WILL NECESSARILY BE SUCCESSFUL BUT WE'VE GOT ΤΟ CONTINUE THROUGH ANY CHANNEL WE CAN TO APPLY WHAT YOU
J TERMED PRESSURE', AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE VIETNAMESE TO TRY AND SOLVE THE DIFFICULT ISSUE WHICH THESE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PROVIDE FOR YOU.
1Q-
(MARGARET NG,