XN000022-1983-07-07 — Page 14

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QUESTIONS:

H.E.I

CAN YOU SUM UP THE SORT OF VIEWS, THE UNOFFICIALS' VIEWS, WHICH HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO THE PRIME MINISTER AS

THE SORT OF GENERAL FEELINGS OF THE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG? WHAT SORT OF FUTURE DO THEY WANT?

J

WELL. WHEN WE WENT TO SEE THE PRIME MINISTER. ALTHOUGH I CAN'T SAY OF COURSE, IN DETAIL THE CONTENT OF OUR TALKS WITH HER, I THINK WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT HAS BEEN VERY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED AND AGAIN, I HAVE REFERRED TO IT ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS. WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE SAYING I THINK FAIRLY CLEARLY, IS THAT THEY ATTACH GREAT IMPORTANCE TO THEIR LIFESTYLE, TO THEIR FREEDOM TO COME AND GO AND I THINK I SAID IN A PREVIOUS STATEMENT TO DO THEIR OWN THING+ AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR CONTINUITY, AND THOSE WERE THE VIEWS WE REPRESENTED TO MINISTERS IN LONDON. THE OTHER THING WAS, THERE WAS OF COURSE THE QUESTION OF THE STATE OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG AND I THINK WE WERE ABLE TO TELL THEM THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE LOOKING FOR PROGRESS IN THE TALKS, AND THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN SOME ENCOURAGEMENT FROM THE FACT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE INVITED TO COME TO LONDON THIS DELEGATION OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, AND DURING THAT VISIT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT MADE CLEAR VERY STRONGLY THE IMPORTANCE WHICH THEY ATTACH TO TAKING THE ADVICE OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, AND IT IS A FAIRLY DRAMATIC EVENT I THINK THAT ALL THE UNOFFICIALS OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL SHOULD GO TO LONDON FOR THAT PURPOSE. BUT THE SECOND THING IS, I THINK PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE TAKEN SOME ENCOURAGEMENT THAT THE SECOND PHASE OF THE TALKS WILL NOW BEGIN IN PEKING AND WE REPRESENTED THAT TO PEOPLE IN LONDON.

QUESTION:

H.E.:

DO YOU FEEL SIR, THAT THE DELEGATION YOU TOOK WAS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?

+YES+ IS THE SHORT ANSWER TO THAT, AND PERHAPS 1 MIGHT ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON IT. I THINK THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IS REPRESENTATIVE BOTH BECAUSE OF ITS COMPOSITION AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IT, AND BECAUSE IT TAKES WITH IT NOT ONLY ITS OWN VIEWS BUT THE VIEWS OF A VERY WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. I THINK YOU ALL KNOW THAT BEFORE WE LEFT LAST WEEK, THERE WAS A LONG DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND MYSELF, AND ALL THE OTHER UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. AND BEFORE THAT MEETING TOOK PLACE, THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAD ALL HAD WIDE CONTACTS IN HONG KONG AT ALL LEVELS - DISTRICT BOARDS, URBAN COUNCIL, THEIR OWN PROFESSIONAL ORGANISATIONS AND SO ON, SO YOU ARE DEALING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE A WIDE KNOWLEDGE OF HONG KONG, WHO HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF CONTACTS IN HONG KONG AND WHO ARE FULLY COMPETENT TO REPRESENT THOSE VIEWS TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.

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