XN000022-1984-09-27 — Page 21

·

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1984

AND

Q. KARINA LEUNG, ATV NEWS. I WOULD LIKE PURSUE AN EARLIER QUESTION. WHY IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ISSUE AS THE NATIONALITY ISSUE COVERED IN THE FORM OF A MEMORANDUM WHICH IS NOT LEGALLY BINDING INSTEAD OF THE ANNEXES OR IN THE JOINT DECLARATION? THE FACT THAT THE GRANTING OF THE NEW STATUS WILL STILL BE SUBJECT TO APPROVAL IN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. ISN'T THERE A POSSIBILITY THAT THIS NEW STATUS MIGHT, AFTER ALL, NOT COME INTO BEING AT ALL?

A. YOU CAN BE QUITE SURE THAT WITH REGARD TO THE LAST PART OF YOUR QUESTION THAT IT IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S STATED INTENTION TO PUT THIS TO PARLIAMENT. IT IS SIMPLY A CONSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT THAT YOU CANNOT SAY IN THE UK THAT YOU COMMIT PARLIAMENT. BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT GIVEN THE DEGREE OF COMMENDATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT WILL PUT BEHIND THIS ARRANGEMENT THAT PARLIAMENT WILL GIVE IT THE MOST SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION. WITH REGARD TO WHY IS AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT IN AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS, AS I HAVE EXPLAINED BEFORE, EACH OF THESE SUBJECTS IS DEALT WITH IN THE FORM IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENTS FELT IT WAS BEST DEALT WITH. AND THE FACT THAT IT IS IN AN EXCHANGE OF MEMORANDA DOES NOT IN ANY WAY MEAN THAT IT IS NOT REGARDED AS AN IMPORTANT ONE. ON THE CONTRARY THERE WAS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF TENSION AND CARE GIVEN TO DEVISING THIS VERY PRACTICAL ANSWER TO A PRACTICAL PROBLEM,

Q. HO MAN CHEUNG, ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS: | WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE AGREEMENT DOESN'T COME INTO EFFECT UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR, IS THERE ANY GUARANTEE THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT INTERFERE OR TAKE OVER HONG KONG BETWEEN NOW AND THE VALIDATING DATE?

A. THE QUESTION ALMOST LEAVES ME BREATHLESS! I CAN SEE NO REASON WHATSOEVER WHY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD WANT TO DO OTHER THAN PUT THIS AGREEMENT INTO EFFECT.

Q. I HAVE A FOLLOWING QUESTION. JUST BECAUSE CHINESE LEADERS HAVE EARLIER SAID THAT IF THERE ARE DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG THEY WILL TAKE OVER HONG KONG. IF THERE IS NO GUARANTEE, AND WE HAVE THIS KIND OF UNEXPECTED THINGS HAPPENING, THEN WHAT CAN WE DO?

A. I HAVE NO REASON TO EXPECT, AND I AM SURE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE NO REASON TO EXPECT, THAT THERE WILL BE ANY DISTURBANCES IN HONG KONG. AND, INDEED, AFTER IF THERE EVER WAS ANY SUGGESTION OF THAT WHICH I DON'T THINK THERE WAS, THERE WILL BE EVEN LESS, IT SEEMS TO ME, OF THAT POSSIBILITY NOW THAT

| A SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT HAS BEEN INITIALLED IN PEKING. ACCEPT THAT THAT IS NOT QUITE LOGICAL - IF YOU SAY THAT IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN ANYWAY, THE CHANCES OF ITS HAPPENING ARE NOW EVEN LESS. BUT I THINK MY MEANING WILL BE REASONABLY CLEAR.

Q. AL PESSIN, VOICE OF AMERICA: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ABOUT THE BALANCE OF POWER IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997 BETWEEN THE SAR AND PEKING. PEKING WILL APPOINT THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS

THERE ARE MANY COUNTRIES BUT THE PEOPLE WILL ELECT THE LEGISLATURE. WHICH HAVE ELECTIONS BUT NOT DEMOCRACY IN THE BRITISH OR WESTERN SENSE. IS THERE ANY INDICATION THAT THERE WILL BE MORE THAN ONE POLITICAL PARTY ALLOWED IN HONG KONG FOR EXAMPLE, OR JUST WHAT FORM THESE QUOTE UNQUOTE ELECTIONS WILL TAKE.

/A. THERE HAS