XN000022-1984-04-16 — Page 3

MONDAY, APRIL 16, 1984

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SIR GEOFFREY: WELL THAT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE AS A CONTINUOUS

WE HAVE HAD PROCESS EVER SINCE I CAME INTO THIS JOB LAST SUMMER. CONTINUOUS CONSULTATION WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF OPINION IN HONG KONG, THROUGH THE GOVERNOR OF COURSE, THROUGH A SERIES OF MEETINGS, I THINK FOUR NOW ALTOGETHER, WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO, AND MY OWN VISIT THIS TIME, WHICH WILL GIVE ME A CHANCE TO RENEW ACQUAINTANCESHIP WITH HONG KONG, WILL BRING ME UP TO DATE ON MY OWN KNOWLEDGE OF CONDITIONS AND ANXIETIES THERE. IN MY PREVIOUS EXISTENCE WHEN I WAS LANGUISHING IN OPPOSITION I WAS ASSOCIATED, I THINK, WITH THREE DIFFERENT COMPANIES THAT HAD BUSINESS INTERESTS OF AN INTERESTING AND ENCOURAGING KIND IN HONG KONG ONE OF THOSE COMPANIES ACTUALLY MOVED INTO HONG KONG FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING THAT PERIOD, AND THIS WILL BE MY THIRD VISIT. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN THERE TWICE BEFORE, THE FIRST TIME NOW MORE THAN TEN YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS MINISTER FOR TRADE AND I KNOW THAT I SHALL SEE, AS I DID LAST TIME, TREMENDOUS SIGNS OF THE ENTERPRISE AND SUCCESS THAT HONG KONG HAS ACHIEVED, SO I DO KNOW THE SCENE, TO SOME EXTENT, AS WELL AS SOMEONE AS FAR AWAY AS I CAN DO. THAT DOES NOT PREVENT ME DOING EVERYTHING I CAN TO TOP UP ON MY KNOWLEDGE IN EVERY WAY POSSIBLE.

G YEATMAN: WHERE DOES THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT COME INTO ALL THIS? WHAT ROLE WILL IT PLAY?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL IT HAS A VERY IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY. THERE IS OF COURSE A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMED INTEREST AMONGST MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ABOUT HONG KONG AND ABOUT ITS FUTURE= A SPECIAL GROUP OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT VISITS HONG KONG QUITE FREQUENTLY, AND MAINTAINS A CLOSE WATCH ON IT, AND IT WILL BE FOR PARLIAMENT TO DECIDE AT THE END OF THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE CONCLUSION TO PARLIAMENT ITSELF TAKING VERY CLOSE ATTENTION OF COURSE OF THE OPINIONS OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.

G YEATMAN: WHEN LORD CARRINGTON VISITED CHINA IN 1981 DENG XIAOPING GAVE A RARE INTERVIEW WITH WESTERN CORRESPONDENTS, HE WAS PRESSED ABOUT THE POSITION OF INVESTORS IN HONG KONG AND HE SAID AND I QUOTE - I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THIS MATTER MANY TIMES. IN SIXTEEN YEARS TIME, EVEN IF THAT.. THERE ARE CHANGES, INVESTORS' INTERESTS WILL NOT BE HARMED. NOW IN VIEW OF THE NEGOTIATIONS SINCE THEN, SIR GEOFFREY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT INVESTORS' INTERESTS IN HONG KONG WILL NOT BE HARMED?

SIR GEOFFREY: THAT MUST BE ONE OF OUR OBJECTIVES, THIS IS ONE OF THE AGREED OBJECTIVES OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, I THINK THAT THE REMARKABLE THING IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH HONG KONG HAS BEEN SEEN NOW FOR MANY YEARS AS A STRIKING EXAMPLE, A GROWING EXAMPLE, OF A SUCCESSFUL ECONOMY. WHEN I WAS CONCERNED WITH ECONOMIC POLICY IN THIS COUNTRY AS CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER, I PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ENTERPRISE ZONES TO TRY AND PROMOTE THE ACTIVITY OF OUR OWN ECONOMY AND PEOPLE SAID THAT | WAS TRYING TO PROMOTE HONG KONG IN BRITAIN. IN A SENSE THAT IS AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW MUCH HONG KONG'S SUCCESS IS ADMIRED, THE OBJECT OF THE EXERCISE IS TO ENSURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THAT KIND INTO THE FUTURE, AS THE COMMON OBJECTIVE, WE MUST BE WORKING TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH INVESTMENT REMAINS AS ATTRACTIVE AS IT HAS BEEN TODAY THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE WE ARE SHARING IN THESE TALKS,

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G YEATMAN: SIR GEOFFREY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

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