XN000022-1983-05-20 — Page 13

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FRIDAY, MAY 20, 1983

JB1 SIR EDWARD, WHAT EVERYONE WANTS TO KNOW IS WHERE HE STAND NON, IN RELATION TO 1997?

HE: THIS I FULLY UNDERSTAND, AND RIGHT FROM THE VERY MOMENT THAT I ARRIVED IN HONG KONG I WAS AWARE THAT THIS WAS GOING TO BE THE ISSUE WHICH WOULD BE AT THE TOP OF PEOPLE'S NINDS.

WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED, THERE WASN'T VERY MUCH HAPPENING AND THERE WERE THO THINGS WHICH CLEARLY NEEDED TO BE DONE. AND THE FIRST OF THOSE WAS TO GET TALKS STARTED, AND THAT WAS ACHIEVED WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER WENT TO PEKING IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR. AND THE SECOND THING KAS TO ENSURE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS FULLY AWARE OF THE FEELING IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND HE MADE A START ON THAT WHEN I TOOK THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS A REPRESENTATIVE BELEGATION OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS TO LONDON AND OF COURSE, THERE HAVE JEEN A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS SINCE THEN WHEN PEOPLE HAVE CONE HERE, SUCH AS LORD BELSTEAD, TO TALK TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT.

BUT THE TALKS WHICH NE BEGAN THEN HAVE BEEN GOING ON, AND THEY ARE STILL GOING ON. I THINK I CAN QUITE CLEARLY SAY THAT ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE MOVING SLOWLY, THEY ARE MOVING, AND THEY ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND HE STILL REMAIN FULLY BETERNINED TO MAKE A SUCCESS OF THEM.

JEI YOU SAY +TALKS ARE GOING ON, DO YOU MEAN TALKS ABOUT TALKS, OR HAVE THE DEFINITIVE TALKS ACTUALLY STARTED?

HE$ HELL, HE HAVE NEVER DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN DEFINITIVE TALKS AND AS YOU MIGHT SAY, INTRODUCTORY TALKS. WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IS THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AND THE DECLARED OBJECTIVE, WHICH IS STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, AND THAT'S WHAT THE TALKS ARE ABOUT.

JH CAN YOU TELL US HHAT THE BRITISH POSITION IS? I MEAN, WHAT IS BRITAIN PROPOSING AS TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG?

HE: NO, I CAN'T GO INTO THE SUBSTANCE OF THE TALKS BUT WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR, AND INDEED, WHAT WE HAVE STATED WE ARE LOOKING FOR, IS THE SETTLEMENT WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA AND UK, AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND IN SAYING THAT, I COME BACK TO THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT WHICH I NADE, WHICH IS THAT IN PURSUING THOSE TALKS WE ARE VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HANT.

JB: BUT THERE IS AN IMPRESSION THAT ALTHOUGH PEKING HAS BEEN CONSULTING DELEBATION AFTER DELEGATION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, YOU HAVE BEEN CONSULTING EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND A VERY FEW PEOPLE?

HE THIS I THINK, IS QUITE A MISLEADING IMPRESSION. THE PROCESS OF CONSULTATION IS A CONTINUOUS ONE- THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WHEN PEOPLE HAVE VIENS, THEY HAVE PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEM AND INDEED, I HOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT FAIRLY OBVIOUS THAT THEY ARE INJEE】 EXPRESSING THEM. ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO HAVE A PUBLIC FORUM FOR HIS VIENS CAN FIND IT IN THE PRESS AND I READ IT EVERY JAY IN THE PRESS.

/SECONDLY.