XN000022-1984-02-28 — Page 6

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984

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Q: HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP THE VIEWS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED TO YOU SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN HERE? ARE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE?

A: WELL. I HAVE BEEN INTERESTED TO ASSESS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED TO ME LAST SEPTEMBER AND AGAIN ON MY VISIT THIS TIME. AND IF I WERE TO TRY AND ENCAPSULATE IT, I WOULD SAY THAT WHAT PEOPLE HAVE REALLY SAID TO ME THEY MOST WANT IS CONTINUITY OF SYSTEMS, THEIR WAY OF LIFE, CONTINUATION OF THE GROWTH OF PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. AND THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT WE ARE AIMING TO ACHIEVE FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND I THINK THAT THAT REFLECTS, BROADLY SPEAKING, A CROSS-SECTION OF VIEWS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED TO ME BOTH LAST TIME AND CERTAINLY THIS TIME.

Q: THE FOREIGN OFFICE APPEARS TO BE STILL SAYING THAT THE TALKS COULD BE STEPPED UP TO MINISTERIAL LEVEL WHEN IT COMES TO THE TIME OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT. DOES THAT MEAN THAT WHEN WE CAN EXPECT A BROAD AGREEMENT YOU WILL GO TO PEKING? AND ALSO, YOU SAID EARLIER THAT YOU PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON PRESENCE HERE. DOES THAT MEAN YOU WILL BE COMING BACK HERE IN THE NEXT FIVE MONTHS?

A: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THERE IS A LOT I WOULD LIKE TO DO AND SEE. I ATTACH IMPORTANCE PERSONALLY TO REGULAR VISITS. AS FAR AS MINISTERIAL PARTICIPATION IS CONCERNED, I THINK THAT WAS THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION, IT IS, OF COURSE, TRUE THAT, UP TO NOW, THERE HAS BEEN NO MINISTERIAL PARTICIPATION IN THE ACTUAL TALKS, AND, OUR POSITION IS THAT, AS AND WHEN WE FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL AND USEFUL - I WAS GOING TO SAY 'USEFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE' (LAUGHTER) - THEN, CERTAINLY WE WOULD SERIOUSLY CONSIDER MINISTERIAL PARTICIPATION.

Q: LAST OCTOBER, WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER WAS SPEAKING TO A BBC 'PHONE-IN' PROGRAMME, SHE REFERRED TO THE IMPORTANCE OF A BRITISH LINK AND, I QUOTE: WE THINK THAT THE BRITISH LINK IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT INDEED BECAUSE IT IS PARTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE KIND OF SUCCESS THEY HAVE HAD IN HONG KONG'. END OF QUOTE. ARISING FROM THAT, MAY I ASK: DO YOU THINK THAT THE BRITISH LINK IS STILL IMPORTANT? AND WOULD YOU SPECIFY WHAT THAT BRITISH LINK COULD MEAN?

A: WELL. ALL THESE FACTORS ARE BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT DURING THE COURSE OF THESE TALKS. AND WE COME BACK TIME AND AGAIN TO THE POINT: WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND TO THE CONTINUITY OF SYSTEMS WHICH IS THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE IN THESE TALKS FOR THE SAKE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG? I CAN'T COMMENT ON SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE DISCUSSIONS, BECAUSE I WOULD BE BREAKING THE ONE FACTOR THAT I KNOW IS FRUSTRATING TO YOU AND IS FRUSTRATING TO US BUT IS NECESSARY, AND THAT IS THAT THE TALKS HAVE TO BE CONFIDENTIAL. AND ALL OUR MINDS ARE FOCUSSED UPON: WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT WILL BE MOST CONDUCIVE TO HELPING THIS CRITERIA OF STABILITY AND PROSPERITY AND THE CONTINUATION OF THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO THEM? AND THESE ARE ALL ELEMENTS IN THE DISCUSSION.

MR LUCE