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THE
MABLE CHAN (TVB): MR MAUDE, MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE'S REACTION TO NATIONALITY PACKAGE IS THAT IF AND WHEN THEY DO GET THE BRITISH PASSPORTS THEY HAVE TO LEAVE BEFORE 1997 BECAUSE CHINA IS NOT GOING TO RECOGNISE THEM, THEY HAVE SAID THAT MANY MANY TIMES. AREN'T YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THIS KIND OF REACTION, AND WHAT DO YOU SAY ΤΟ THESE PEOPLE?
MR MAUDE: WELL WHAT I SAY TO THEM IS THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION EMBODIES THE RIGHT TO ENTER AND LEAVE HONG KONG.
CHINA HAS CONSISTENTLY REAFFIRMED IT'S COMMITMENT TO THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND SO I WOULD SAY THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE PASSPORTS ISSUED UNDER THIS SCHEME WILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO ENTER AND LEAVE AFTER 1997 AND SO IT IS SIMPLY NOT THE CASE THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ANY SORT OF NEED TO LEAVE BEFORE
7 HEN?
MABLE CHAN: ARE YOU SAYING THAT CHINA HAS NO POWER TO STOP THEM LEAVING AFTER 1997 IF THEY CHOSE?
MR MAUDE: WELL, IT IS SIMPLY THE CASE THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO ENTER AND LEAVE HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
HARVEY PONG (WAH KIU YAT PAO): (INAUDIBLE)
MR MAUDE: SORRY, CAN YOU SAY THAT AGAIN, THERE IS SO MUCH CAMEPA CLICKING, I MISSED THE QUESTION.
HARVEY PONG: I WONDER IF THE ATTITUDE OF HONG KONG PEOPLE TOWARDS THE PASSPORT PACKAGE WILL AFFECT THE PASSAGE OF THE NATIONALITY BILL IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT?
HAS
MR MAUDE: I THINK IT WILL, IN THAT THE MAJORITY VIEW WHICH DEEN EXPRESSED TO ME WHILE I HAVE BEEN HERE IS. AS I SAID AT THE OUTSET. OF APPRECIATION FOR THE STANCE WHICH THE UK GOVERNMENT HAS "AKEN, AND THE VIEW THAT THIS IS A VERY HELPFUL MEASURE FOR HONG KONG. ..T MAY NOT BE AS LARGE A PACKAGE AS HONG KONG WOULD HAVE HOPED, NONETHELESS IT IS VERY HELPFUL, IN THAT IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY BAD NEWS JOR HONG KONG, AND HENCE FOR BRITISH INTERESTS, IF IT FAILED, SO I HINK THAT MESSAGE WHICH HAS COME OUT FROM HONG KONG IS ONE THAT WILL DE PERSUASIVE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN FAVOUR OF THE BILL.
TSUI SIV WA (NEXT MAGAZINE): I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW ON MISS LAU WAI HING'S QUESTIONS. I AM NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANSWER CORRECTLY. AS YOU SAY, WE ARE STILL NOT SURE, 100 PER CENT SURE, THE BILL WILL BE PASSED OR NOT. BUT EVEN IF THE BILL IS PASSED, IF ANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY COMES TO POWER, OR IF EVEN THE PRESENT LEADING I'ARTY CHANGES ITS MIND, IS THERE ANY POSSIBILITY THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD, AT ANY TIME, CANCEL THE WHOLE PACKAGE?
THIS IS
MR MAUDE: NO, THERE IS NO QUESTION OF THAT.
A COMMITMENT WHICH THE GOVERNMENT HAS MADE AND WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL HONOUR.
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