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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988
DAVID DODWELL (FINANCIAL TIMES): IF YOU DO HAVE A GENUINE PASSIONATE INTEREST IN THE PRESERVATION OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG, WHY IS IT THAT YOU HAVE NOT ENCOURAGED THE GOVERNMENT HERE TO GIVE GREATER AND MORE DETAILED ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM OF EMIGRATION, TO THE DAMAGES THAT ARE BEING DONE, AND THE SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY THAT ARE BEING SO HURT BY IT?
SIR GEOFFREY: I THINK THAT REPRESENTS AN OVER-STATEMENT OF A CASE THAT 18, OF COURSE, ONE THAT NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED SERIOUSLY. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THE HONG KONG PROPLE, THE HONG KONG PRESS KEEP A CONSTANT EYE ON RELATIVE EMIGRATION AND IMMIGRATION RATES. THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PATTERN OF THAT KIND AND IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT ONE IS CONSTANTLY SEEKING TO UNDERLINE THE POINTS WHICH GIVE GROUNDS FOR CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE.
AND
AND
NOBODY IS TAKING IT COMPLACENTLY. I SAID THAT IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY. IT HAS GOT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY BUT 1 DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE THE CAUSE FOR ALARM AND DISMAY. WE HAVE TO KEEP AT
IT. IF HONG KONG RETAINS THE FRAMEWORK WHERE PEOPLE ARE FREE TO COME GO, WHERE THE ECONOMY IS FREE TO COME AND GO, ΤΟ MOVE VITALITY THAT IT HAS GOT I BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL BE SEEN AS THE BEST WAY TO THE FUTURE. I AM NOT DISMISSING YOUR POINT AT ALL. I TILENK IT HAS GOT TO BE KEPT IN PERSPECTIVE.
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THE
MARK ROBERTT (FREELANCE): SIR GEOFFREY, IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HASN'T SOLD HONG KONG DOWN THE RIVER, THEN WHY IN 1985 DID BRITAIN ORIGINALLY INSIST THAT THE CHINESE WOULD HAVE NO SAY IN CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM AND THEN REVERSED THAT POSITION AND ALLOWED THE JLG TO HAVE A ROLE IN THR CHANGES THAT WERE BEING MADE IN HONG KONG?
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF ANY FORMAL ROLE FOR THE JLG OR ANYTHING ELSE IN RELATION TO THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN HONG KONG. CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE, THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN HONG KONG HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF TWO OR THREE FACTORS.
OF LEGCO AT
ONE, UNTIL 1985 HONG KONG HAD NO ELECTED MEMBERS ALL, SO ELECTION OF ANY KIND BY THE HISTORIC RECORD OF HONG KONG WAS AN INNOVATION.
TWO, ONE NEEDS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE VERY DIVERSE PATTERN OF OPINION WITHIN HONG KONG ITSELF AS TO WHAT SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE HAPPENING.
THREE, THERE IS NO PURPOSE IN EMBARKING UPON A REVOLUTIONARY SET OF CHANGES WHEN ONE OF THE OBJECTS OF THE EXERCISE IS TO PRESERVE WHAT HAS MADE HONG KONG WHAT IT IS, LEAST OF ALL ΤΟ EMBARK UPON REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES IF IT IS CLEAR TO EVERY EYE THAT THEY ARE LIKELY TO BE REGARDED AS AN AFFRONT TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IN THE LONG DISTANCE.
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