ON
TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989
DEAN NELSON (SUNDAY MORNING POST): SIR GEOFFREY, WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE ΤΟ THE REPORT BY PROFESSOR BERNARD CORREY, OF QUEEN MARY COLLEGE LONDON, WHICH SAID BRITAIN'S ECONOMY COULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THREE AND A QUARTER MILLION HONG KONG CHINESE?
SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I WAS STRUCK BY THE REPORT, WHICH I CONFESS I HAVEN'T YET READ COMPLETELY. BUT I WAS GRATEFUL ΤΟ THE SUNDAY MORNING POST FOR PRINTING, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, ALL THE CONCLUSIONS, THAT IN FULL. BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO ME THAT CHAPTER 10 OF THE REPORT, IN FULL. CHAPTER SUCCEEDED IN SUMMARISING THE DIFFICULTIES AND THE PROBLEMS WITH AMPLE LUCIDITY, AND, IF ANYTHING, FORTIFIED THE ANXIETIES WHICH I EXPRESSED IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY.
NOTICE
LAW KWOK WAI (ORIENTAL DAILY) SIR GEOFFREY, DON'T YOU THAT THE CHINESE SHOP THAT YOU VISITED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON PUT ON A BIG BANNER SAYING "IMMIGRATION, BIG SALE". WHEN THE MINDS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE OCCUPIED WITH THE IDEA OF IMMIGRATION EVERY DAY, DO YOU FEEL THAT THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION PROMISED, TO BE MAINTAINED?
SIR GEOFFREY: I UNDERSTAND, AS I'VE SAID ALREADY, THE EXTENT TO WHICH PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE CONCERNED WITH THE CITIZENSHIP, RIGHT OF ABODE ISSUE. BUT I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, CERTAINLY THOSE TO WHOM I HAVE SPOKEN, HAVE NOW A CLEARER AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF BRITAIN OFFERING TO SIGN A BLANK CHEQUE FOR THREE, FOUR, OR FIVE MILLION PEOPLE. AND INDEED, THE MORE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG SEEK TO IMPRESS UPON US THE IMPORTANCE THEY ATTACH TO THAT PROPOSITION, IN A SENSE, THE MORE RECKLESS IT WOULD BECOME то OFFER AN INSURANCE POLICY OF THAT KIND. THAT'S WHY I'VE SAID IN MY STATEMENT TODAY, WE SHALL BE SEEKING TO ENGAGE THE INTEREST OF OTHER COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD IN COMING TO THE ASSISTANCE OF HONG KONG SO FAR AS POSSIBLE, IF THAT NEED SHOULD EVER ARISE.
CLAUDIA ROSETTE (WALL STREET JOURNAL): I BELIEVE THAT PRIME MINISTER THATCHER'S GOVERNMENT HAS SOME APPRECIATION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTIONS AS AN INSTITUTIONAL MEANS OF MAKING PEOPLE'S NEEDS KNOWN AND ALLOWING THEM TO DEFEND THEIR RIGHTS. CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME THE LOGIC BEHIND WHATEVER CHOICE YOU'VE MADE, NOT TO CALL FULL ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATURE, FOR INSTANCE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR?
/SIR GEOFFREY
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