XN000022-1984-09-27 — Page 16

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984

IF IN

Q. SO FAR IT'S BEEN MADE VERY CLEAR THAT THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, THE AGREEMENT CANNOT BE DEBATED PIECEME AL NOR CAN IT BE AMENDED AS IT HAS BEEN NEGOTIATED. THAT IS VERY CLEAR. SO I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS SOMETHING SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. THE COURSE OF PREPARING FOR 1997 OR OVER THE THREE-YEAR PERIOD AFTER 1997. THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP DISCOVERS THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN IMPLEMENTATION, CAN YOU CONF IRM THAT THE AGREEMENT COULD BE ADDED TO, OR SUPPLEMENTED, IN ORDER TO EASE ITS IMPLEMENTATION?

A. WELL, STARTING FROM THE PROPOSITION THAT THE AGREEMENT CANNOT BE AMENDED, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD CLAIM THAT WE HAVE BEEN SO PRESCIENT AS TO FORESEE EVERYTHING THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH IN THE NEXT 13 YEARS, AND IT WOULD BE PERFECTLY NATURAL THAT IF IT WAS NECESSARY IN ANY WAY, AS THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID LAST NIGHT, FOR THE AGREEMENT TO BE AMPLIFIED OR CLARIFIED, THAT WOULD BE DEALT WITH IN THE SAME SPIRIT OF PRACTICAL AND FRIENDLY COOPERATION IN WHICH THE AGREEMENT ITSELF HAS BEEN DRAWN UP.

Q. NG TING KWONG, COMMERCIAL RADIO, HONG KONG. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED BUT QUITE A LOT OF THE CONTENTS ARE NOT CLEAR AS FAR AS THE LOCAL PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED. SO IS THE GOVERNMENT PREPARED TO SEND OUT GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM LOCAL PEOPLE?

A. I THINK THAT, IN FACT, IF YOU READ THE AGREEMENT VERY CAREFULLY, YOU WILL FIND IT IS REASONABLY CLEAR. BUT NEVERTHELESS IT IS NOT ALWAYS EASY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THESE THINGS TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THEY IMPLY. IN AS FAR AS WE CAN GIVE ANY CLARIFICATION THAT IS NECESSARY WE WILL, INDEED, BE VERY READY TO DO SO.

Q. SIMON FUNG, RADIO HONG KONG, I WANT TO COME BACK ALSO TO THE QUESTION OF CONSULTATION AND THE POSSIBLE EFFECT OF IT. TIME AND AGAIN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSULTATION. BUT WHY WAS IT IN THE WHITE PAPER THERE WAS NO ASSURANCE AT ALL THAT THE FUTURE IMPORTANT LAND COMMISSION AND ALSO THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL HAVE HONG KONG PEOPLE REPRESENTATIVES ATTENDING THESE TWO COMMITTEES?

A.

ONE.

WELL, THE CONSULTATION PROCEDURE, OF COURSE, WAS A VERY WIDE

YOU ARE REFERRING TO ONE SPECIFIC ASPECT WHICH IS MENTIONED IN THE AGREEMENT WHICH IS WHO WILL BE SITTING ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND WHO WILL BE SITTING ON THE LAND COMMISSION. WELL, THESE TWO GROUPS ARE, OF COURSE, GROUPS BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNMENTS BUT YOU MAY BE ASSURED THAT ON THE BRITISH SIDE THERE WILL BE THE APPROPRIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS.

HALIMA GUTERRES, SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST:

Q. MANY PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED FEARS THAT HOWEVER GOOD THE AGREEMENT MAY BE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER IT IS ADHERED TO BY THE CHINESE SIDE DEPENDS VERY MUCH ON THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN CHINA. GIVEN THESE FEARS, CAN THE GOVERNMENT GIVE AN ASSURANCE THAT SHOULD THE CHINESE SIDE GO BACK ON ITS PROMISES CONTINGENCY PLANS EXIST TO RESETTLE THOSE PEOPLE WHO DO NOT WISH TO LIVE UNDER COMMUN | SM?

/A. I THINK