8

WE IT

ISSUE WITH ON THE SECOND POINT, ON RAISING THE RIGHT OF ABODE

HAVE I THINK WE

SAID ALL ALONG THAT OTHER EUROPEAN PARTNERS. WOULD SEEK TO TALK TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ABOUT HONG KONG.

OF THE INTERNATIONAL IS IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG TO HAVE THE SUPPORT

SHALL CERTAINLY BE DISCUSSING COMMUNITY AND TO DEVELOP THAT AND WE

OCCASIONS, BOTH WITH THE HONG KONG, AS WE HAVE DONE ON A NUMBER OF

TALK TWELVE AND AT THE PARIS ECONOMIC SUMMIT AND WE SHALL CONTINUE TO ABOUT IT.

STANLEY LEUNG (HONGKONG STANDARD): ARE THERE ANY PLANS OF OTHER

BEIJING AND

IN THE NEAR FUTURE? FCO OFFICIALS TO VISIT HONG KONG INCLUDING THE GOVERNOR, TO BEIJING?

PLANS.

MR MAUDE : WELL, YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE GOVERNOR

STANLEY LEUNG INCLUDING MR MAJOR TO BEIJING. AND ANY PLAN OF THE GOVERNOR TO VISIT BEIJING?

-

ABOUT HIS

ΤΟ HONG KONG,

PLANS.

MAJOR

JOHN THE TURN OF

MR MAUDE: YOU WOULD HAVE TO ASK THE GOVERNOR ABOUT HIS BUT, SO FAR AS OTHER MINISTERS COMING TO HONG KONG, CERTAINLY PROPOSES TO COME TO HONG KONG SOMETIME AROUND THE YEAR AN EXACT DATE HASN'T BEEN FIXED, BUT HE IS KEEN TO COME, AS FAR I SAY AT AN EARLY DATE, WHICH WOULD LIKELY TO BE AROUND THEN. AS OTHER BRITISH MINISTERS ARE CONCERNED, THERE IS, AS FAIRLY STEADY FLOW OF BRITISH MINISTERS TO HONG KONG. IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY A YEAR AGO AND I

MEAN

I BELIEVE, A

I MYSELF CAME KNOW THAT OTHER MINISTERS WELL. BASIS

NOT I AS

IS BUT

THAT REGULAR COME HERE ON A

WHICH I'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY CONCERNED WITH THE SORT OF ISSUES WITH DEALING WITH WHILE I AM HERE.

FUNG WAI-KONG (ASIAWEEK): MR MAUDE, THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH YOU HAVE SAID HAD SOME SORT OF WRANGLE OVER CERTAIN ISSUES RECENTLY.

APPROACH. DO THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WANT TO ADOPT A FIRM AND LOW-KEY YOU THINK THIS IS SOME SORT OF CONCESSION, BACK-TRACKING OR SOME OF SURRENDER?

SORT

THIS. ON

I MEAN, YOU ARE EITHER MR MAUDE: YOU CAN'T WIN

WE ARE NOT DOING EITHER. PICKING A FIGHT OR YOU ARE SURRENDERING. WHAT WE ARE DOING IS PURSUING THE DISCUSSIONS QUIETLY, ON THE BASIS WHICH IS PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE AGREEMENT VERY PROPER WAY FOR US TO CARRY ON. SO WE SHALL CONTINUE. SAYING WHAT WE ARE DOING. NOT ALWAYS CONDUCTING OUR DIPLOMACY

THE VERY SERIOUS BUSINESS MEGAPHONES, BUT QUIETLY CARRYING ON WITH

THAT THERE IS TO BE DONE ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG.

-

SENSIBLY, AND AND THAT IS A NOT ALWAYS THROUGH

/STEVE JONES (ASTAN WALL STREET JOURNAL) #

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