THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1991
AND
KONG. HONG
KONG
HONG
REPEAL
Q: YOU SAID THAT YOU WENT TO CHINA FOR THE SAKE OF HONG ON TWO FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY IN
MAY BEARING IN MIND CHINA'S REPEATED WARNINGS THAT IT KONG'S BILL OF RIGHTS AFTER 1997 AND CHINA'S PERSISTENT REFUSAL HAVE TO RECOGNISE THE HONG KONG EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, YOU TAKEN UP THESE ISSUES WITH THE CHINESE LEADER, INCLUDING PENG?
MR LI
DESIRABILITY
I
PRIME MINISTER: 1 SPOKE SPECIFICALLY TO MR LI PENG ABOUT THE
OF
THE MEETING EXCO AND ABOUT MEETING OMELCO AND
FACT THAT THERE WOULD NEED TO BE A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEM AND
THEM HOPE THAT WILL COME ABOUT. THIS IS A MATTER WE HAVE RAISED WITH AND A MATTER WE WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE WITH THEM. ON OTHER MATTERS IN SO FAR AS DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG IS CONCERNED WE ARE STARTING OFF WITH THE
IS A
GET
THAT FIRST DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS IN JUST A WEEK OR SO. TREMENDOUS ADVANCE, IT IS PART OF A RISING CURVE, I THINK WE WILL
THEY THROUGH THOSE ELECTIONS, WE WILL SEE HOW THEY ARE SUSTAINED, HOW DEVELOP AND I THINK NOBODY SHOULD UNDER-ESTIMATE THE IMPACT THAT THESE ELECTIONS WILL MAKE EVEN THOUGH ON THIS OCCASION IT IS ONLY EIGHTEEN SEATS OUT OF THE FULL. TOTAL OF SIXTY.
ABOUT:
HAS
Q: SO WHAT ABOUT ON HUMAN RIGHTS ? GIVEN THAT IT'S BEEN SEVEN
CHINA YEARS NOW SINCE WE SIGNED THE JOINT DECLARATION BUT
ON YET
HUMAN BECOME A SIGNATORY TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION ΤΟ RIGHTS. HAVE YOU ACTUALLY ASKED THE CHINESE LEADER TO TAKE ACTION AND IF NOT, WHY NOT?
PRIME MINISTER: WELL, I THINK MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE KNOWN FROM READING THE PRESS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT I CERTAINLY DID DISCUSS THE QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WITH THE CHINESE, THEY ARE WELL AWARE OF MY
OF AWARE
ANYONE'S VIEW, I DOUBT THEY'VE EVER BEEN MADE SO WELL VIEWS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE PAST BEFORE. SO THEY ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF MY CONCERN IN HUMAN RIGHTS AND THEY ARE EQUALLY WELL AWARE IN TERMS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AT HOME AND ABROAD THAT THIS IS A MATTER RISING INTEREST AROUND THE WORLD; NOT JUST IN THE CASE OF CHINA IN THE CASE OF COUNTRIES ALL AROUND THE WORLD WHERE HUMAN RIGHTS NOT
STANDARD THAT WE BELIEVE THEY SHOULD
THERE IS AT THE
BE. SEARCHLIGHT OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL OPINION UPON THE QUESTION HUMAN RIGHTS. THE CHINESE ARE ABSOLUTELY AWARE OF THAT AND YES, I DID DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THEM.
OF
BUT
ARE
A OF
THE I WONDER IF I COULD TEMPT YOU TO BREAK ALL Q: AND TO DISCUSS BRITISH POLITICS WHILE YOU ARE ON AN OVERSEAS TRIP TO SAY WHETHER AFTER A SUCCESSFUL WEEK YOU ARE TEMPTED EARLY ELECTION WHEN YOU GET BACK HOME?
CONVENTION
AND
ΤΟ
CALL AN
THE
OF A WILL
WE
TO
PRIME MINISTER: WELL, YOU CAN TEMPT BUT I MAY NOT RISE TO
THINK TEMPTATION.
SPECULATION I
LIKE THAT AT THIS STAGE PARLIAMENT IS ALWAYS INEVITABLE, I JUST HOPE NOT TOO MANY PEOPLE TAKE THAT ALMOST INEVITABLE DAY-TO-DAY SPECULATION TOO SERIOUSLY. STILL HAVE WORK TO DO; WHEN I JUDGE IT RIGHT WE WILL HAVE THE GENERAL ELECTION BUT I DON'T THINK IT WILL BE IN ANYONE'S INTEREST FOR ME RESPOND TO-DAY-TO DAY SPECULATION.
/Q: CAN I