9

THURSDAY, SEPTEMPER 5, 1991

BUT WITH THE

IN

BUT I SEE NO DIFFICULTIES PRIME MINISTER: MAY I FINISH.

SIGNED, AND Ι THE WAY IN WHICH THE MEMORANDUM HAS BEEN REACHED OR

THAT WE HAVB THINK IT IS VERY MUCH IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG SIGNED IT.

IT HAS BEEN A VERY HECTIC SUCCESSFUL IN SOME

Q: I'VE GOT A VERY EASY ONE FOR YOU. WEEK AND YOU HAVE BEEN, BY ALL ACCOUNTS, VERY AREAS. DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE FINALLY SHRUGGED OFF THIS TAG KEEP READING ABOUT, THAT YOUR NAME IS ERIC RATHER THAN PRESS, BRITISH IT'S BEEN A TAG GIVEN TO YOU BY THE AUSTRALIAN PRESS.

PRIME MINISTER: NOT A TAG THAT I'D HEARD WOULD RECOGNISE.

JOHN NOT

THAT I MAJOR? BY THE

NOT A TAG THAT Ι

SOLVE

Q: BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE AGREED TO INTENSIFY EFFORTS TO THE PROBLEM OF VIETNAM BOAT PEOPLE AND WILL SUPPORT ALL STEPS TAKEN BY HONG KONG TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW: KONG DECIDE ALL BY HER OWN TO TAKE WHATEVER STEPS, AND IF DECIDES ON A WAY TO SOLVE THE VBP PROBLEM, WILL BRITAIN FULLY THE DECISION?

-

CAN HONG HONG KONG SUPPORT

STOP DECISIONS CHINA ALSO

KONG

ARRIVING IN THE

-

PRIME MINISTER: WELL, IT IS NOT FOR CHINA TO THAT ARE BEING TAKEN ON THE QUESTION OF BOAT PEOPLE AND WANT TO STOP, WANT TO HELP AND ASSIST WITH THE PROBLEM THAT HONG FACES WITH BOAT PEOPLE ARRIVING. SOME OF THEM, OF COURSE, ACROSS THE MAINLAND AND GOING STRAIGHT BACK, OTHERS ARRIVING HARBOURS. WE ARE DISCUSSING REGULARLY WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BY 'WE' I MEAN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT,

AND ΤΟ HOW BEST TO DEAL WITH IT, BOTH IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG

COMING DEAL WITH THE VERY GREAT HUMAN PROBLEM OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE, AND I SET OUT IN MY OPENING REMARKS THE WAY IN WHICH WE FEEL WE SHOULD PROCEED FROM NOW ON AND WE ARE IN DISCUSSION AT THE MOMENT WITH THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT, UNDER THE CONTROL OF AN INTERNATIONALLY MANAGEMENT OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES,

WHO ARE NOT MANAGED CENTRE IN VIETNAM TO WHICH THOSE BOAT PEOPLE

IT 19 REFUGEES WOULD BE ABLE TO RETURN. AND THAT IS THE RIGHT WAY

FOR HONG THE ONLY WAY FOR US TO PROCEED AND THE ONLY WAY, I THINK, KONG TO PROCEED, THAT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE FOR HONG KONG OR FOR OTHERS.

AND

THINK

-

DO

BUT NOT I COULD I PICK UP ON A QUESTION WHICH WAS ASKED

то AND THAT ANSWERED,

WAS

WITH THE

OF MEMORANDUM THE FACT THAT CHINA UNDERSTANDING BEING IN BREACH OF THE DECLARATION.

NOT TWO HAS TO BE CONSULTED NOW ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT WHEN IT WAS YEARS

WONDER ARE

HOW YOU CAN AGO, THESE

SUBSTANTIVE POINTS. I PERSUADE PEOPLE YOU ARE NOT PRESENTING AN OVER-OPTIMISTIC PICTURE OF AND WORRIES CHINA'S INTENTIONS, GIVEN YOUR OWN VERY STRONG REMARKS

THE JOINT THERE AND THAT TO ABOUT HUMAN

HAVE

DECLARATION RIGHTS

GOING REAFFIRMED 19 NO GREAT DEAL, WHEN WE WERE TOLD IN 1984 THIS WAS TO BE THE DEAL. SO, ARE YOU PERHAPS NOT BEING OVER-OPTIMISTIC AND HOW

COMPLAINTS DEAL DO YOU

WITH THOSE SUBSTANTIVE AGREEMENT GIVING TOO MUCH INFLUENCE TO CHINA?

ABOUT

THE

AIRPORT

/PRIME MINISTER:

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