TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990
CLAUDIA MO (AFP): I'M SORRY. I PROBABLY DIDN'T MAKE MYSELF VERY CLEAR. I WAS SPECIFICALLY REFERRING ΤΟ YOUR CHANGE OF MIND CONCERNING 1991 LEGCO ELECTIONS.
MR HURD: HAVE I CHANGED MY MIND?
I
HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED A
DECISION...
CLAUDIA MO:
IT'S MORE THAN 10 NOW?
MR HURD: I HAVEN'T ANNOUNCED A DECISION AND I'VE.
CLAUDIA MO:
WILL IT BE MORE THAN 10?
MR HURD: OH YES, IT WILL BE MORE THAN 10. AND IF YOUR QUESTION IS: DO THE CHINESE KNOW THAT I'VE SAID IT IS MORE THAN 10? YES, THE ANSWER IS YES.
J
THAT
VERY
AHEAD
PERI CHOW COMMERCIAL RADIO): MR HURD, YOU SAID EARLIER
POLITICAL CONVERGENCY IN
REFORMS BEFORE AND AFTER 1997 IS IMPORTANT BUT IF THAT CANNOT BE ACHIEVED, BRITAIN WILL STILL GO WITH ITS OWN DECISION. BUT ANY DECISION ALONG THIS LINE WILL VERY PROBABLY ANGER CHINA. IS BRITAIN WILLING TO PAY SUCH A PRICE?
MR HURD: WELL, THE BEST WAY IS TO ACHIEVE AN ARRANGEMENT WHICH WILL BE CONTINUOUS, AND NOT JUST CONTINUOUS BUT WHICH WILL MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE PROGRESS TOWARDS GREATER DEMOCRACY WILL BE CONTINUED AND INCREASED AFTER 1997. THAT IS THE BEST WAY. IF THAT BEST WAY 18 NOT ATTAINABLE, THEN, AS YOU RIGHTLY SAY. WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE OUR OWN DECISIONS WITH THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AS REGARDS 'THE ELECTIONS, THE PERIOD WHICH IS UNDER OUR CONTROL FOR WHICH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. AND WE WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT DECISION AND JUSTIFY THAT DECISION TO THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA. BUT THAT, AS IS PERFECTLY CLEAR UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION, IS A DECISION FOR US AND THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG TO TAKE.
JOHN ELLIOTT (FINANCIAL TIMES): IF YOU CAN'T GET THAT AGREEMENT WITH CHINA, MIGHT YOU CONSIDER JUST ANNOUNCING YOUR PLANS FOR 1991, LEAVING 1995 IN ABEYANCE FOR DECISION LATER?
MR HURD: THAT WOULD BE ONE OPTION BUT IT'S NOT A DECISION
WE'D
TAKE.
JOHN ELLIOTT: DO YOU THINK, THOUGH, IT WOULD BE SEEN BY SOME PEOPLE HERE AS SELLING THE PASS? BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE NO PROMISE THEN OF ANYTHING HAPPENING IN 1995.
OTHER MR HURD: IT MIGHT BE SEEN BY SOME PEOPLE AS THAT: ON THE HAND IT 15 A COURSE WHICH HAS BEEN URGED UPON ME BY OTHER PEOPLE HERE.
/JOHN ELLIOTT: