XN000022-1984-04-20 — Page 4

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1984

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+AS I SAID, WE ARE STILL NEGOTIATING.

SEVERAL

POINTS OF SUBSTANCE REMAIN TO BE RESOLVED. I CANNOT ANTICIPATE THE DETAILS OF AN EVENTUAL AGREEMENT. WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT BOTH OF CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS. THE AGREEMENT WHICH IS REACHED MUST BE SUCH THAT WE CAN COMMEND IT TO PARLIAMENT. I KNOW VERY WELL THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WILL NEED TO KNOW THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT AND HAVE TIME TO EXPRESS THE IR VIEWS. AND PARLIAMENT ITSELF WILL NEED TIME TO REFLECT AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF THOSE VIEWS.

+LET ME THEN SUM UP. THESE ARE COMPLEX AND DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS. WE ARE STILL SOME WAY FROM AN AGREEMENT. BUT A GOOD DEAL OF PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE. AND THERE IS A WILL ON BOTH SIDES TO BRING OUR WORK TO FRUITION IN AN AGREEMENT, WHICH WILL ENSURE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT, FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT, THIS REMAINS A PRIME OBJECTIVE.+

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS :

Q1.

A.

02.

RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG - STEVE JOHNSON

CAN THE FOREIGN SECRETARY GIVE ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE THAT WHATEVER IS EVENTUALLY WORKED OUT, AT PEKING, WILL ACTUALLY STICK, THAT IT WILL NOT BE

RE-NEGOTIATED, AMENDED OR OVERTURNED, IF THERE IS A CHANGE OF GOVERNMENT, EITHER IN PEKING OR IN WESTMINSTER?

THE OBJECT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AS I HAVE SAID, IS TO SECURE AGREEMENT OF A FRAMEWORK OF ARRANGEMENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE FOR WHAT WE WANT, THE MAINTENANCE OF HONG KONG AS FLOURISHING AND DYNAMIC SOCIETY, AND FOR THOSE ARRANGEMENTS TO BE INCORPORATED IN AN AGREEMENT THAT IS FORMALLY RECORDED, AN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS OF CHINA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHICH WOULD THEREAFTER BE BINDING MUTUALLY UPON BOTH SIDES.

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FAR EAST ECONOMIC REVIEW PHILIP BOWRING DURING YOUR DISCUSSINGS IN PEKING, DID CHINA GIVE ANY INDICATION AT ALL THAT IT IS WILLING TO AGREE TO FORMAL DETAILED RECORDING OF THE ITEMS YOU MENTIONED IN PARAGRAPH 8, OF YOUR TEXT HERE, OR TO AGREE TO ANY COMMITMENT TO LINK THESE, OR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THESE, TO THE CONTINUATION OF THESE TO HONG KONG'S CONTINUED PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS?

/A. I AM