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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1994
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FOREIGN SECRETARY: WELL, WHAT I WILL BE DOING WITH MR QIAN IS NOT BUT PUTTING FORWARD ADDITIONAL OR DIFFERENT BLUEPRINTS FOR THE FUTURE SIMPLY REHEARSING, THOUGH IN GREATER DETAIL AND IN A CONFIDENTIAL CONVERSATION, BASIC POINTS THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING HERE AND THAT PEOPLE BAVE MADE TO ME HERE, THAT WE NEED TO GET ON WITH THE WORK DEFINED IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. NOT DODGE AWAY FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION BUT HONOUR IT. AND THE COMPULSION BEHIND THAT IS NOT JUST THE SIGNATURES ON THE DECLARATION, NOT JUST THE LEGAL OBLIGATION, BUT THE SHARED INTEREST. IT IS NOT A CHINESE INTEREST THAT THIS WORK SHOULD BE INCOMPLETE. IT NEEDS TO BE AS COMPLETE AND AS OF HIGH QUALITY AS POSSIBLE. IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT A BRITISH INTEREST AND ABOVE ALL IT'S NOT A HONG KONG INTEREST, SO IF ONE GOES THROUGH THE DIFFERENT SECTORS AND ANALYSES THE SHARED INTEREST SECTOR BY SECTOR, THE RESULT AT ANY RATE SEEMS TO ME TO BE CLEAR. MR QIAN QICHEN WILL EXPLAIN HIS POINT OF VIEW. OUR MEETINGS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN, THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN OF WORKMAN-LIKE KIND. WE'VE NEVER SHOUTED AT EACH OTHER. WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I'VE ALWAYS FELT AT THE END OF THE MEETING THAT IT WAS WORTHWHILE HAVING ONE, WHICH IS NOT MY EXPERIENCE AFTER ALL MEETINGS THAT I ATTEND. BUT WITH MR QIAN QICHEN THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY FEELING AND I BELIEVE IT WILL BE SO AGAIN.
GOVERNOR: A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS, UNLESS THERE'S ONLY ONE?
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QUESTION (UNITED DAILY): AS .... AROUND THOSE DAYS THE CHINESE STILL ATTACK JARDINE'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CT9. SO HOW COULD YOU TELL MR QIAN AND ENSURE THE FUTURE CO-OPERATION IN HONG KONG, FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES INVOLVING BRITISH BUSINESSMEN CAN GO THROUGH SMOOTHLY, JUST LIKE CT9 WITH SOME DIFFICULTY?
FOREIGN SECRETARY: YES, BUT ON CT9 I DON'T WANT TO ADD TO WHAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY SAID. I THINK WHAT HE SAID SUMMARISED THE POSITION VERY CLEARLY. THE QUALITY AND HIGH STANDARDS OF ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG ARE ONE OF ITS MAIN ASSETS AND THAT'S NOT AN ASSET WHICH SHOULD BE DISSIPATED OR UNDERMINED.
QUESTION (TVB): FOREIGN SECRETARY, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE YOU'VE USED THE THIS NEW CATCH PHRASE, SHARED INTEREST, BUT YOU'VE ALSO SAID THAT BRITISH HAVE NOTHING NEW TO OFFER THE CHINESE TO BREAK THE STALEMATE. WHY DO YOU THINK THE CHINESE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO BREAK THIS DEADLOCK JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE A NEW CATCH PHRASE, SHARED INTEREST? SURELY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MUST OFFER SOMETHING NEW?
FOREIGN SECRETARY: THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF WHERE WE MAKE CONCESSIONS OR INDEED THE CHINESE MAKE CONCESSIONS. IT'S NOT THAT KIND OF PROBLEM. IT'S NOT A CATCH PHRASE, IT'S A REALITY. IF EITHER SIDE SITS BACK AND SAYS, WELL THIS IS ALL TOO DIFFICULT, THEN THE SHARED INTEREST WILL SUFFER. IT WON'T BE ONE SIDE SUCCESSFULLY INSULTS OR HUMILIATES THE OTHER, THAT'S NOT AN OPTION. THE SHARED INTEREST WILL SUFFER. HONG KONG WILL SUFFER AND IT'S A SHARED INTEREST THAT HONG KONG SHOULD SUCCEED.
/NOW, TM
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