XN000022-1984-04-20 — Page 6

FRIDAY, APRIL 20, 1984

05. TA KUNG PAO, LEE WAI HING

A.

Q6.

A.

DURING YOUR VISIT IN BEIJING YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH CHINESE LEADERS INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN DENG, PREMIER ZHAO, WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR IMPRESSIONS

OF THOSE CHINESE LEADERS YOU HAVE MET, AND IN

WHAT WAY YOU FEEL THE CHINESE LEADERS ARE SINCERE TO SOLVE THE 1997 ISSUE. WITH THE AIM OF MAINTAIN THE STABILITY

AND PROSPERITY FOR HONG KONG?

AGAIN, IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT FOR ME TO GIVE IMPRESSIONS

OF PERSONALITIES, ANY MORE THAN IT WOULD BE RIGHT

FOR ME TO GIVE IMPRESSIONS OR DESCRIPTIONS OF

THE SUBSTANCE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT ALL MY

MEETINGS IN PEKING WERE VERY BUSINESS-LIKE, CONDUCTED IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE DIRECTED TO TRYING TO SECURE AGREEMENT OF THE KIND WE BOTH WANT AND THE

THING THAT IMPRESSED ME MOST WAS THE JOINT DETERMINATION TO TRY TO REACH THE RIGHT ANSWER TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION.

RADIO HONG KONG, NICK BEACROFT

IT IS A TWO SIDED QUESTION. ONE IS HOW EXACTLY

ARE YOU GOING TO TEST, THE OPINION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE? AND, IF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE REJECT YOUR AGREEMENT, WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN?

WELL, WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS IN THE FINAL STAGE AFTER THE AGREEMENT IS PRESENTED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING OF COURSE HONG KONG, WHAT WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF TAKING THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AT THAT STAGE. 1 EMPHASISE, OF COURSE, AS I HAVE SAID ALREADY, THE IMPORTANCE IN THIS CONTEXT OF THE CONTINUING CONSULTATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, WELL AHEAD OF THE AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THE OBJECTIVE THAT WE MUST HAVE IN MIND IS TO KNOW THE ASPIRATIONS AND THE ANXIETIES AND THE DESIRES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG NOL. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I AM HERE NOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MY MEETING WITH EXCO YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS NOT THE FIRST BUT THE FIFTH, IN ORDER THAT WE CAN TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND BEFORE WE COME TO THE AGREEMENT. THAT IS THE

PRESENT

PETER AND FUCKS WE LIVE AT A TREEMENT,

OF

THAT WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WANT.

Q7.

LUK HON TAK, WEN WEI PO,

BRITAIN ALWAYS STRESSED THERE IS NO TIME TABLE FOR THE TALKS, BUT YOU AGREE THAT IT IS HELPFUL FOR KEEPING HONG KONG'S PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IF AN AGREEMENT CAN BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND DO YOU THINK THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR?

/A.

AS I ....