XN000022-1984-09-26 — Page 15

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEGER 26, 1984

+THIS AGREEMENT IS THE RESULT OF LONG AND HARD NEGOTIATION. THERE HAS BEEN GIVE AND TAKE ON BOTH SIDES. BUT NEGOTIATION HAS ALWAYS HAD AS ITS BASIS THE EXCELLENT RELATIONS THAT EXIST BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA AND THE JOINT DETERMINATION OF BOTH GOVERNMENTS TO MAINTAIN HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THE PRIME MINISTER AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE AGREEMENT IS A GOOD AGREEMENT AND ONE WHICH WE CAN CONFIDENTLY COMMEND TO THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AND THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT.+

FOLLOWING ARE THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Q. ON BEHALF OF THE UNITED NATIONS CORRESPONDENTS ASSOCIATION I WELCOME YOU SIR AND I WOULD LIKE, FIRST, TO ASK YOU, WOULD YOU EXPECT ANY PROBLEMS REGARDING THE ENDORSEMENT OF THE PARLIAMENT FOR THIS AGREEMENT AND WHEN THE PARLIAMENT WILL LOOK INTO THAT QUESTION.

A. AS I HAVE SAID IN MY STATEMENT, IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE CAN CONFIDENTLY COMMEND TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT AND TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. YOU ARE QUITE RIGHT TO EMPHASISE THAT BOTH THOSE CONSIDERATIONS ARE IMPORTANT. THE EXPECTATION IS THAT PARLIAMENT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF DEBATING IT BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR SOMETIME PROBABLY IN DECEMBER SO THAT THE AGREEMENT CAN PROCEED TO SIGNATURE AT THE END OF THAT TIME SUBJECT OF COURSE TO THE POINTS YOU HAVE MADE.

=

JIMMY HO, ATV NEWS, HONG KONG:

Q. THE WORRY OF MANY IN HONG KONG IS THAT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WOULD BE USED BY PEKING AS A SHADOW GOVERNMENT, UNDERMINING THE ADMINISTRATION IN HONG KONG, AS WELL AS ITS AUTONOMY. YOU COMMENT ON THAT?

CAN

A. I AM GLAD YOU HAVE RAISED THE POINT. I KNOW THAT IT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE WORRIES COMMUNICATED TO US IN THE EARLIER STAGES BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. WE HAVE, THEREFORE, SECURED VERY PLAIN AGREEMENT THAT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IS A GROUP FOR LIAISON. IT IS NOT AN ORGAN OF POWER. IT WON'T TAKE PART IN OR SUPERVISE THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE AGREEMENT RECOGNISES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UNTIL 1997 WILL REMAIN A BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT COMMIT THEMSELVES TO SUPPORTING JUST THAT SET OF ARRANGEMENTS. THE LIAISON GROUP, I THINK, WILL, OF COURSE, HAVE IMPORTANT WORK TO DO BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS, AND TAKING ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, IN MAKING SURE THAT THE TRANSITION IS SMOOTH. THE TASK OF LIAISON WILL BE IMPORTANT. THE GROUP WILL BE APPLYING ITSELF TO THAT BUT IT WILL NOT BE INTRUDING IN OR SUPERVISING THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG.

/Qs

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