XN000022-1984-09-26 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984

TREVOR MACDONALD, SIR GEOFFREY, FROM ITN LONDON. I WONDER WHETHER YOU COULD COMMENT ON THIS, SIR. IN THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IT SAID THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAVE A DUTY TO MAKE CLEAR BEYOND ANY POSSIBILITY OF MISUNDERSTANDING, THAT THERE IS NO POSSIBILITY OF AN AMENDED AGREEMENT. AND YET THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE BEING INVITED ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT. IS THERE NOT A FUNDAMENTAL INCOMPATABILITY ABOUT THOSE TWO STATEMENTS, SIR. YOU ARE SAYING TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: THIS IS IT. YOU EITHER TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.

A. I THINK IT IS VERY HELPFUL YOU HAVE READ FROM THE WHITE PAPER WHICH DEALS WITH THIS MATTER BECAUSE WHAT WE SAY IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH IS, AS IS NORMAL WITH INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS NEGOTIATED BETWEEN NATIONS, THERE IS NO REALISTIC POSSIBILITY OF AMENDING THE TEXT. THE AGREEMENT, WE SAY, MUST BE TAKEN AS A WHOLE. WE HAVE WORKED LONG AND HARD WITH OUR CHINESE PARTNERS IN THIS EXERCISE TO PRODUCE AN AGREEMENT WHICH REPRESENTS THAT WHICH WE BELIEVE IS NECESSARY AND IMPORTANT. I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, OR ANYBODY ELSE, TO SUGGEST THAT THEY, OR YOU, OR 1, COULD NOW BEGIN GOING BACK AND UNSTITCHING THIS OR UNSTITCHING THAT. THE CHOICE IS BETWEEN THIS AGREEMENT OR NO AGREEMENT - AS THE WHITE PAPER MAKES CLEAR AND WE BELIEVE IT IS RIGHT TO PRESENT THAT CHOICE PLAINLY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

Qu

THE POINT ABOUT THE IR BEING GIVEN A CHANCE TO TEST THE IR ACCEPTABILITY. TO WHAT END? THEY CAN'T CHANGE IT, SO WHAT WILL THEY BE DOING?

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A. WHAT THEY'LL BE DOING WILL BE EXPRESSING THEIR VIEWS ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE. I SAY THE CHOICE THROUGHOUT THIS EXERCISE HAS BEEN BETWEEN GETTING A BAD AGREEMENT OR GETTING A GOOD AGREEMENT, OR ENDING UP WITH NO AGREEMENT. BECAUSE THE LEASE OVER 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY OF HONG KONG RUNS OUT IN 1997. NOW, WE HAVE WORKED FOR A GOOD AGREEMENT. WE BELIEVE WE HAVE GOT A GOOD AGREEMENT. WE ARE OFFERING, THEREFORE, TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THE QUESTION: DO YOU FIND THAT GOOD AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE, OR WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE THE ALTERNATIVE, WHICH IS NO AGREEMENT AT ALL? THAT'S A CHOICE WHICH WE HAVEN'T IMPOSED. IT'S A CHOICE THAT FOLLOWS FROM HISTORY FROM THE FACT THAT 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY IS ON A LEASE THAT RUNS OUT IN 1997.

Q. SIR GEOFFREY, DOES THAT MEAN THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHOM YOU ARE NOW CONSULTING SAY THE AGREEMENT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, THEN THERE'S JUST NO AGREEMENT. OR DOES IT MEAN THE AGREEMENT IS GOING TO BE FORCED DOWN THEIR THROATS ANYWAY?

/A.

NO,

THE