SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1988
BUT, THE CRITICS CONTINUE, THE AGREEMENT WILL NOT HOLD. BEHIND THIS THEME LIBS THE INSTINCTIVE FEAR THAT CHINA WILL NOT КЕБР HER WORD. THERE IS NO EVIDENCE FOR IT: THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN METICULOUS TO DATE. AND THOUGH NOTHING IS CERTAIN IN OUR WORLD, I AM SURE THE CHANCES OF IT HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE ARE REMOTE. FOR THE VERY BEST OF REASONS: HONOURING THE AGREEMENT IS IN CHINA'S BEST INTERESTS. TO BREACH A HIGH PROFILE INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT WOULD DO HER REPUTATION IMMENSE HARM, WOULD DENY THE ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF A DYNAMIC CAPITALIST ENCLAVE AND WOULD FATALLY SET BACK THE HOPES FOR RECOVERING THE OTHER LOST TERRITORY, TAIWAN,
FINALLY, WE COME TO THE THIRD CATEGORY OF COMPLAINTS AND HERE I'M AFRAID WE TAKE LEAVE OF REALITY ALTOGETHER. THE AGREEMENT IS FORGOTTEN OR BRUSHED ASIDE AND WE FACE CHARGES THAT WE ARE HANDING OVER SOME 5.6 MILLION PEOPLE TO THE RIGOURS OF COMMUNIST RULE. NOW THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOME JUSTIFICATION FOR THIS COMPLAINT IF WE HAD DONE NOTHING AT ALL AND SIMPLY ALLOWED THE LEASE OF THE NEW TERRITORIES TO RUN OUT AND HONG KONG AS A WHOLE TO PASS WITHOUT RESERVATION INTO PEKING'S CONTROL. BUT OF COURSE OUR WHOLE EFFORT HAS BEEN ADDRESSED TO THE CONTRARY AIM AND THE MOST ELABORATE SAFEGUARDS HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED IN A BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT TO ENSURE THAT THE ECONOMY AND LIFESTYLE OF HONG KONG AND THE RIGHTS OF ITS PEOPLE ARE PRESERVED. THAT IS THE VERY ANTITHESIS OF BETRAYAL.
AS PART OF THIS SAME ARGUMENT THAT A TOTAL DISASTER IS IMPENDING WE ARE SOMETIMES URGED TO LAUNCH A LIFEBOAT SCHEME TO PERMIT AS MANY AS POSSIBLE OF HONG KONG'S INHABITANTS TO SETTLE IN BRITAIN AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES. BUT THIS WHOLLY OVERLOOKS THE WISH OF HONG KONG CITIZENS TO LIVE AND FLOURISH IN THEIR OWN CITY AND THEIR CONSIDERABLE SUCCESS TO DATE IN DOING SO. HONG KONG'S GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT HAS AFTER ALL GONE UP 30 PER CENT IN THE LAST 3 YEARS. TO MAKE SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WOULD ALSO BE A SIGNAL ACT OF DEFEATISM AND COMING FROM BRITAIN NOTHING WOULD BE BETTER CALCULATED TO UNDERMINE THE CONFIDENCE AND PROSPERITY WE HAVE HELPED TO BUILD UP. WE DO NOT REGARD HONG KONG AS A DISASTER AREA, NOR DO ITS INHABITANTS.
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WINSTON CHURCHILL SAID ONCE THAT HE DID NOT RESENT CRITICISM EVEN WHEN FOR THE SAKE OF EMPHASIS IT PARTED FOR THE TIME WITH REALITY. IT IS A GOOD SAYING, BUT HE MIGHT HAVE ADDED THAT IT IS MORE HELPFUL WHEN THE CRITICISM 19 NOT ALTOGETHER IN THE REALMS OF FANTASY. IT IS NATURAL AND RIGHT THAT WE SHOULD LOOK BACK FROM TIME TO TIME ON A MAJOR TRANSACTION LIKE THE HONG KONG AGREEMENT AND ASK OURSELVES SEARCHINGLY WHETHER IT WAS WELL DONE. LOOKING BACK MYSELF, I THINK IT WAS. I ALSO THINK THE CURRENT NEGOTIATIONS FOR WORK ON IMPLEMENTING THE AGREEMENT GOES ON ALL THE TIME ARE ALSO BEING WELL DONE. IT IS AN UNPRECEDENTED AND DELICATE OPERATION, AND IT IS BOUND TO PRESENT PROBLEMS FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THE CHINESE ARE SCRUPULOUS IN HONOURING THE AGREEMENT; ON THE BRITISH SIDE THERE REMAINS TOTAL COMMITMENT; AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE I AM SURE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THEIR PART. IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD I DO NOT THINK WE COULD HAVE PROVIDED THEM WITH BETTEK SAFEGUARDS FOR THEJE FUTOPF AND IF WE MANAGE THE TRANSITION RIGHT AS I THINK WE SHALL, I LEI EVE WE SHALL BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK IN 1997 ANG BEYOND WITH A GOOD CONSCIENCE AND THE SENSE OF WORK SATISFACTORILY DONE. IT MAY NOT PROVIDE BUCH DRAMATIC COPY FOR THE PRESS, BUT THAT IS A DIFFERENT MATTER.
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