A
10
LORD CAITHNESS: THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA WENT THROUGH A DIFFICULT PATCH, THAT WE ARE EMERGING FROM - THANK GOODNESS. IT'S GETTING MUCH MORE CONSTRUCTIVE. BUT A DECISION ON THAT SORT OF MATTER IS FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, SUPPORTED BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT; THAT IS LAID DOWN IN THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED DECLARATION, THAT WE WILL MAKE THESE SORT OF DECISIONS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE WHATEVER DECISIONS IT FEELS NECESSARY IN THE RUNNING OF THE TERRITORY UP UNTIL THE 1ST JULY 1997.
GO
-
PAUL HARRINGTON: THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THE CASE IF WE HAVE TO CAP-IN-HAND TO BEIJING IN 1995 WITH REGARD TO OUR OWN DEMOCRATIC
MAKE-UP.
LORD CAITHNESS: I'M NOT GOING CAP-IN-HAND, I'M GOING TO TRY ΤΟ SEEK
I MIGHT BE TRYING TO SEEK TO IMPROVE, DEPENDING ON THE ELECTIONS, AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER THAT IS ALREADY ALLOWED FOR.
PAUL HARRINGTON: ARE THERE ANY OTHER SUBJECTS WHICH WOULD NEED CHINESE APPROVAL PRIOR TO 19977
LORD CAITHNESS: IT DOESN'T NEED CHINESE APPROVAL THAT WERE ΤΟ ALTER SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE BASIC LAW WOULD NEED CHINESE APPROVAL. BUT HONG KONG GOVERNMENT STILL HAS THE RIGHT ΤΟ MAKE DECISIONS APPERTAINING TO HONG KONG UNTIL THE 1ST JULY 1997, THAT'S IN THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED AGREEMENT.
HARVEY PONG: IT IS SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING SET UP A BRITISH CONSULATE IN HONG KONG. HOW DOES THE WORK PROCEED?
ΤΟ
LORD CAITHNESS: WE ARE DISCUSSING THAT AT THE MOMENT. I HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE A DECISION SOON. I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BRITAIN DOES HAVE A GOOD CONSUL-GENERAL HERE IN THE FUTURE. IS
ΤΟ
IT AN IMPORTANT TRADING PART OF THE WORLD FOR BRITAIN; I WOULD LIKE SEE IT CONTINUE TO BE THAT; AND UNTIL MATTERS PROCEED AND THE FINAL DECISIONS ARE TAKEN, I'M AFRAID I CAN'T SAY ANY MORE.
YUE SIN-YUI, HK STANDARD: I WANT TO KNOW YOUR IMPRESSION ABOUT THE RECENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN? AND DO YOU HAVE PLANS TO GO TO CHINA YOURSELF?
LORD CAITHNESS: I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO CHINA, YES, AND I KNOW THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE. AS I SAID, WOULD ALSO LIKE ΤΟ GO то CHINA: THE EXACT DATES HAVEN'T BEEN FIXED. AND I KNOW THAT MY OPPOSITE NUMBER IN CHINA WISHES TO COME TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AGAIN; THE DATE HAS TO BE FINALISED FOR THAT.
CHINA?
YUE SIN-YUI: BUT WHAT'S YOUR IMPRESSION ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN
I MEAN THE RECENT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BRITAIN AND HAS IT GONE BACK TO THE NORMAL SITUATION?
——
/LORD CAITHNESS: