XN000022-1984-07-14 — Page 4

SATURDAY, JULY 14, 1984

ESTION TWO:

LUCE, THE UMELCO MEMBERS AND PEOPLE YOU MET IN THE PAST

NG GROUP PAYS DID EXPRESS THE VIEW ON SETTING UP A JOINT WOR

.ITOR THE 13 YEARS' TRANSITIONAL PERIOD. DID YOU FIND - FAVOUR OR DISFAVOUR THE VIEW AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO

PORT TO SIR GEOFFREY AND THE PRIME MINISTER?

AISHER:

WELL, ALWAYS FIND, AND THIS IS AS YOU KNOW MY THIRD VISIT TO HONG KONG, THAT EVERY TIME 1 COME I INVITE PEOPLE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS TO ME AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DON'T EVER HESITATE TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS TO ME. THEY DIDN'T FAIL TO DO 30 THIS TIME AND, OF COURSE, I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE JUST RAISED WAS ONE OF A NUMBER OF ISSUES WHICH BOTH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, UMELCO AND A CROSS REPRESENTATION OF

EADERS THAT I MET WERE ANXIOUS TO RAISE.

IT IS IN CONNECTION WITH THAT AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THAT I WANTED TO SAY TO YOU VERY, VERY CLEARLY THIS EVENING, AND THAT

AS THE REASON FOR MY OPENING REMARKS, QUITE CLEARLY, THAT THIS DISCUSSION MUST BE SEEN AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF A CLEAR AND FIRM INTENTION ON THE PART OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN BRITISH GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG UNTIL 1997.

I DON'T THINK THIS CAN BE STATED OFTEN ENOUGH.

OUR VERY FIRM INTENTION.

QUESTION THREE:

THAT IS

YOU SAY YOU ARE WORKING ON SOME KIND OF PLANS WHEN IT COMES TO ACCEPTABILITY. WE ARE ALREADY HEARING REPORTS FROM LONDON THAT HMG IS CONSIDERING SETTING UP SOME KIND OF BUREAU OR OFFICE IN HONG KONG AFTER SEPTEMBER WHERE PEOPLE CAN PUT THEIR VIEWS FORWARD. COULD YOU TELL US WHETHER THIS IS ONE OF THE OPTIONS?

ANSWER:

! CAN TELL YOU THAT WHAT WE ARE ANXIOUS TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT WE SET UP MACHINERY WHICH IS ADEQUATE TO ENABLE US TO CARRY OUT A TEST OF ACCEPTABILITY AND A CHANNEL WHEREBY PEOPLE CAN QUITE CLEARLY EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS AND HAVE THEM CAREFULLY ASSESSED, AND INDEPENDENTLY ASSESSED.

BUT WE HAVE, AS I HAVE ALREADY SAID, DONE AN INTENSE AMOUNT OF WORK ON THIS. WE HAVE BEEN CONSULTING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, INDEED THIS IS ONE OF THE ISSUES, I CAN SAY, THAT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED VERY FULLY IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT ! HAVE BEEN HERE. WE ARE GOING TO BE IN A POSITION VERY SHORTLY TO ANNOUNCE OUR PLANS AND OUR PROPOSALS. I AM SORRY, I CAN'T BE MORE SPECIFIC THAN THAT.

QUESTION FOUR: