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12
FRIDAY, JULY 1,
JULY 1, 1988
IN
CHRIS POMERY (THE TIMES): WHEN YOU WERE
PEKING, SIR, DID YOU DISCUSS TRADE WITH THE CHINESE AND DID YOU PASS ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S OFFICIAL VIEW OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFT AS IT STANDS AT THE MOMENT, AS WELL AS PASSING ON THE RECORD OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE ON HONG KONG'S VIEWS?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, I DID TALK ABOUT TRADE VERY SO FAR AS TRADE BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA IS YES, BUT NOT IN ANY GREAT DETAIL. I VISITED VARIOUS PLACES A CO-PRODUCTION FACILITY WITH BRITAIN. BUT TRADE WAS NOT PURPOSE OF MY VISIT.
CHRIS POMERY: DO YOU HAVE A GOOD TRADING CHINA AND ARE THERE SIGNS THAT IT WILL IMPROVE?
LORD GLENARTHUR: TRADING RELATIONSHIP?
GENERALLY, CONCERNED, INCLUDING THE MAIN
RELATIONSHIP
WITH
CHRIS POMERY: AND ARE THERE SIGNS THAT IT WILL IMPROVE?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, I HOPE IT WILL IMPROVE. CHINA HAS BEEN VISITED BY LORD YOUNG, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY, ON A COUPLE OF OCCASIONS, IF NOT MORE, AND I HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE IMPROVED, YES. I THINK THERE IS SCOPE THERE FOR THE UNITED KINGDOM то DEVELOP ITS TRADE RELATIONS WITH CHINA. AND I THINK THAT IS ΤΟ THE ADVANTAGE OF HONG KONG AS WELL, BECAUSE THE FACT IS THAT I THINK IT GENERATES A FEELING OF GREAT CONFIDENCE. SO FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, AND 1 TELL YOU I VISITED CHINA FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IT WAS A VERY ENCOURAGING EXPERIENCE. SO FAR AS THE BASIC LAW IS CONCERNED, I DON'T THINK I HAVE REALLY GOT ANYTHING TO ADD TO WHAT I SAID IN MY OPENING STATEMENT. THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE CLEARLY TAKEN ON BOARD THE PÕINTS THAT WERE RAISED IN THAT DEBATE. THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF THE CONCERNS ON CERTAIN ASPECTS WHICH HAVE BEEN RAISED BY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THEY WILL GIVE THEM ALL THE CONSIDERATION THAT THEY ARE DUE.
CHRIS POMERY: SIR GEOFFREY, WHEN HE WAS HERE LAST MONTH, SAID HE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENDORSE THE CURRENT DRAFT AS IT STANDS. WOULD YOU BE FEELING A SIMILAR POSITION?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, I MEAN IF SIR GEOFFREY HOWE SAID IT, YOU COULDN'T BE GETTING IT FROM A FINER SOURCE.
LEO DOBBS: I AM NOT SURE WHETHER THIS COMES WITHIN YOUR BRIEF. IT IS A QUESTION ABOUT LAOS. DOES THAT COME WITHIN YOUR. ?
LORD GLENARTHUR: WELL, IT COMES INTO MY AREA IF IT IS THE RIGHT TOPIC TO RAISE AT THIS PARTICULAR.
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I JUST WONDER
/LEO DOBBS: