XN000022-1984-09-26 — Page 20

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1984

BC RADIO:

Q. SIR GEOFFREY, BEFORE 1997. HOW FAR DO YOU EXPECT TO SEE THE INTERNAL POLITICAL MECHANI SKS FOR CONSULTATION EVOLVE IN

ONG KONG?

A. THAT'S TO A VERY LARGE EXTENT A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PUBLISHED - THEY HAVE PUBLISHED - A GREEN PAPER FORESHADOWING POSSIBLE CHANGES IN THE REPRESENTATIVE STRUCTURE OF GOVERNMENT THERE. THAT WILL BE THE FOUNDATION FOR CHANGES IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I'M SURE THERE WILL BE FURTHER EVOLUTION ON THE GROUND, IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT PEOPLE THERE THINK, AND WANT. AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS THAT IN 1997, THERE WILL BE A CONTINUITY OF THE SYSTEM, BY THEN, ESTABLISHED,

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PRESS OFFICER: THE LAST QUESTION SHOULD GO TO A HONG KONG CORRESPONDENT. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ASK IT?

0. ON WHAT GROUNDS, SECRETARY, DO YOU FEEL THE CONFIDENCE ON THE 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' THAT IS GOING TO BE PRACTISED IN HONG KONG?

A. I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT GROUND IS ITS EXTREME SENSIBILITY AND GOOD SENSE. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SEES IN HONG KONG, AS WE ALL SEE, TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK THERE. NOBODY, LEAST OF ALL THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, WANT TO SEE THAT DESTROYED. THEY WANT, AS WE WANT, TO SEE THAT CONTINUITY, STABILITY, PROSPERITY OF THE ECONOMY AND ITS LIFE STYLE ARE CONTINUED. AND I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT THIS AGREEMENT ENSHRINES WHAT IS IN THE INTERESTS OF CHINA, OF GREAT BRITAIN AND OF HONG KONG, IS THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE FOUNDATION FOR MY CONFIDENCE IN ITS VALUE AND SUCCESS.

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