XN000022-1984-04-20 — Page 11

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FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1984

A.

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, IS OF COURSE, CURRENTLY DIRECTLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. STEPS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN IN THAT DIRECTION. FURTHER PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION IS, AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, CLEARLY IN MIND, AND PROGRESS OF THAT KIND WHICH MAY TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS IS NOT FOR THE U.K. GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE, IS SOMETHING WHICH THE U.K. GOVERNMENT WOULD CERTAINLY COMMEND BUT IT WILL BE FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE PRECISELY THE TIME SCALE AND WAY IN WHICH PROGRESS TOWARDS INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT WILL BE MADE.

Q17. MARK BAKER, THE MELBOURNE AGE

A.

SIR GEOFFREY, DO YOU ACCEPT CHINA'S STATED DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER, AND DO YOU REGARD THAT AS BEING A REALISTIC TIME FRAME FOR AN AGREEMENT.

WELL, AS I SAID IN THE STATEMENT, WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF CHINESE WISHES ON THE ONE HAND AND ALL OF OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS ON THE OTHER HAND. BEYOND THAT, AS I SAID IN ANSWER TO AN EARLIER QUESTION, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CLEARLY IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG FOR US TO REACH A GOOD AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THERE IS A MANIFEST INTEREST IN CONCLUDING THE NEGOTIATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR CONFIDENCE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE BUT THE PROGRAMME TO WHICH WE ARE WORKING TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS.

Q18. ROBERT COTTRELL, FINANCIAL TIMES

A.

SIR GEOFFREY, YOU DWELL IN YOUR STATEMENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC FREEDOMS FOR HONG KONG. NOW THE TYPES OF FREEDOMS THAT YOU DESCRIBED ARE ALREADY PROMISED TO THE "CHINESE PEOPLE, IN THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION. ARE YOU GOING TO ENSURE THAT FREEDOMS PROMISED TO HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE WILL MEAN MORE IN PRACTICE THAN THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN PROMISED IN CHINA IN THE PAST.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES, WHICH IS ALSO REFERRED TO IN MY STATEMENT, IS THE NEED TO SECURE CONTINUATION OF THE PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM, THE PRESENT FAMILIAR PATTERN OF JUSTICE, THE FAMILIAR SYSTEM FOR THE ADMINISTRATION, OF JUSTICE AND THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK OF LAW OF HONG KONG BASED UPON PRESENT SYSTEMS. AND IT IS ALL THOSE THINGS, THE LAWS THAT ARE ENFORCED, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, AND THE COURTS BY WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, WHICH OF COURSE IN HONG KONG, PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE OF THOSE FREEDOMS, AND IT IS IN ORDER TO SECURE THE CONTINUATION OF THE FRAMEWORK WHICH WILL UPHOLD THOSE FREEDOMS IN THE WAY THAT IS FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. WE DO WANT TO SECURE ASSURANCE ON THOSE OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

BUT

/Q19.