XN000022-1984-10-29 — Page 2

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1984

PEOPLE URGED TO GIVE VIEWS TO ASSESSMENT OFFICE

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HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE URGED TODAY BY THE DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES, MR PETER TSAO, TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE.

+NOW THAT WE HAVE COME SO FAR, NOW THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US THE FRAMEWORK OF A SYSTEM WHICH GUARANTEES SO MUCH OF WHAT WE WISH TO SEE PRESERVED, IT WOULD BE A BETRAYAL OF EVERYTHING

THIS AGREEMENT HAS SET OUT TO ACHIEVE IF WE DID NOT ALL COLLECTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO ITS REALISATION, HE SAID.

MR TSAO SAID THAT GIVING OUR VIEWS TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE

WAS A VITAL STEP IN THAT PROCESS.

SPEAKING AT THE LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF VICTORIA, HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNOR, WHILE INTRODUCING THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, DID MORE THAN URGE EVERYONE IN HONG KONG TO READ IT.

+HE ALSO URGED US TO COME FORWARD WITH OUR VIEWS, + MR TSAO SAID.

THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS VITAL THAT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT SHOULD HAVE THE FULLEST POSSIBLE ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WHEN THE TIME CAME FOR PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER THE MATTER AND TO DECIDE WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE AUTHORISED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON WHICH THE FUTURE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG'S MORE THAN FIVE MILLION PEOPLE WILL DEPEND.

MR TSAO ALSO QUOTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, WHO HAD SAID THAT SAME

AND INDEED DAY IN NEW YORK, THAT +MUCH OF THE IMPORTANCE MUCH OF THE ACHIEVEMENT -- - OF THE AGREEMENT LIES IN ITS DETAIL

ESPECIALLY IN AND MUCH OF THE DEBATE IN THE WEEKS TO COME HONG KONG – WILL RIGHTLY FOCUS ON THE DETAILS.+

THE PROBLEM IS THAT NOT ALL THE OPINION WE ARE EACH INDIVIDUALLY REACHING ON THE BASIS OF THIS EXAMINATION ARE BEING REFERRED TO THE RIGHT QUARTERS, MR TSAO SAID.

+THIS PERHAPS ARISES, TO SOME EXTENT, FROM A MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE EXPECTS TO RECEIVE FROM US. THE KEY WORD IS OPINION. THEY ARE NOT JUST LOOKING FOR A SIMPLE TICK OF APPROVAL,+ HE SAID.

QUOTING FROM THE SPEECH MADE BY SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LAST THURSDAY, THAT IT WAS MADE QUITE CLEAR IN THE WHITE PAPER THAT THE DRAFT AGREEMENT ITSELF CANNOT BE AMENDED+, MR TSAO POINTED OUT THAT SIR GEOFFREY DID RECOGNISE THAT THIS AGREEMENT MIGHT NOT BE REGARDED AS COMPLETELY SATISFACTORY BY ALL ON ALL POINTS, AND THAT NO AGREEMENT COULD ACHIEVE THAT.

AR TSAO