XN000022-1984-12-21 — Page 26

ON

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984

PRIME MINISTER: CAN I JUST SAY THIS TO YOU. WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF WE HAD NOT ATTEMPTED TO GET AN AGREEMENT? 1997 - 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY HAVE RETURNED TO CHINA WITHOUT ANY ASSURANCES, WITHOUT ANY OF THE ADVANTAGES OF THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE NOW. MAY I NOT PUT IT TO YOU THAT THE SITUATION NOW IS VASTLY BETTER FOR HONG KONG AND ACCEPTS AND HONOURS AND ACKNOWLEDGES THE FACT THAT CHINA WISHES THE LIFE-STYLE OF HONG KONG TO CONTINUE UNDER THAT AGREEMENT. I THINK YOU WOULD HAVE HAD GREAT CAUSE TO COMPLAIN HAD THE GOVERNMENT OF GREAT BRITAIN DONE NOTHING UNTIL 1997 AND I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE, INDEED, THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, THINK THE SAME. YOU MAY BE A SOLITARY EXCEPTION.

۹۰ نها

LAWRENCE MACDONALD, AFP: I WOULD LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW, DID YOU SEEK FROM CHINESE LEADERS DURING YOUR VISIT IN PEKING ANY ASSURANCES THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD NOT ONLY BE CONSULTED ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW BUT WOULD ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DRAFTING OF IT? AND IF YOU DID SEEK THESE, DID YOU GET ANY INDICATION OF THEIR THINKING ON THIS CRUCIAL POINT?

PRIME MINISTER IT I IS STIPULATED IN THE AGREEMENT THAT THE DETAILS IN THE ANNEXES WILL BE EMBODIED IN THE BASIC LAW. THAT WAS ONE OF THE POINTS OF HAVING SUCH DETAILED ANNEXES AND OF HAVING THIS STIPULATION RIGHT IN THE AGREEMENT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT GAVE AN ASSURANCE WHILE WE WERE IN PEKING THAT THEY WOULD ALSO SOLICIT THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON A WIDE BASIS. THEY, OF COURSE, WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACTUAL DRAFTING, BUT OF COURSE THE AGREEMENTS IN THE ANNEXES WILL BE EMBODIED IN THE DRAFTING.

QUESTION 10 (IN CHINESE): CHEUNG SIU-FUNG, TIN TIN DAILY NEWS, THERE ARE SOME MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN BRITAIN WHO SUGGEST THAT THERE SHOULD BE A REPORT ON HONG KONG TABLED TO THE PARLIAMENT EVERY YEAR. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

PRIME MINISTER: I DO NOT THINK THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A REPORT ON HONG KONG TABLED EVERY YEAR ANY MORE THAN WE HAVE HAD A REPORT ON HONG KONG TABLED NOW WHICH WE HAVE NOT. GREAT BRITAIN IS SOLELY IN CHARGE OF ADMINISTRATION UNTIL 1997 THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG. AND I SEE MYSELF, NO NEED FOR A PARTICULAR REPORT. FROM TIME TO TIME, DOUBTLESS, THE MATTER WILL BE DEBATED IN OUR PARLIAMENT BECAUSE NATURALLY OUR PARLIAMENT IS VERY

INTERESTED IN EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS.

/QUESTION 11.