FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1984
Q 14. DINAH LEE, ECONOMIST AND WASHINGTON POST WHY YOUR GOVERNMENT FEELS ASSURED OF CHINA'S COMMITMENT TO THIS TREATY DOES NOT NEED REITERATION, BUT I THINK WE NEED FOR THE RECORD TO KNOW WHAT WILL YOUR GOVERNMENT DO IF THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT ARE ABUSED OR BROKEN? IN SHORT, ARE YOU PREPARED TO DEFEND THIS PACT AS YOU DID IN THE FALKLANDS, AND BY WHAT MEANS?
PRIME MINISTER | BELIEVE THAT THIS AGREEMENT WILL BE HONOURED. I BELIEVE THAT FIRMLY. IF BY ANY CHANCE ANY QUESTION ROSE UNDER THE AGREEMENT, NATURALLY A SIGNATORY TO IT WOULD RAISE THE MATTER WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. IF THEY HAD ANYTHING TO RAISE WITH
US, NATURALLY THEY WOULD RAISE IT WITH US. THAT IS THE NORMAL PROCEDURE UNDER AN AGREEMENT. THE SIGNATORIES RAISE MATTERS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
Q 15. DINAH LEE : ARE YOU PREPARED TO GO FURTHER TO DEFEND THIS?
PRIME MINISTER: I HAVE INDICATED THAT IF THERE IS ANYTHING TO RAISE UNDER THE AGREEMENT THEN OF COURSE WE WOULD RAISE IT IN THE NORMAL WAY BUT I BELIEVE IT WILL BE FULLY HONOURED. CAN I JUST SAY TO YOU 1997 - 92 PER CENT OF THE TERRITORY WOULD AUTOMATICALLY RETURN TO CHINA.
Q 16. WONG WING-HUNG, HONG KONG STANDARD: PRIME MINISTER, WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY PREMIER ZHAO ZIYANG THAT THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL BE WIDELY SOLICITED ON THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. BUT WHAT THE MAJOR CONCERN FOR MOST PEOPLE HERE NOW IS: WILL THEY BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE? HAVE YOU BEEN ASSURED ON THIS POINT? IF NOT, WHAT WILL YOUR GOVERNMENT DO TO HELP HONG KONG PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO JOIN THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE?
PRIME MINISTER NOW I HAVE ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BASIC LAW. THE CONTENT OF THE ANNEXES, THE RELEVANT CONTENT OF THE ANNEXES, WOULD BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW. THAT IS IN THE AGREEMENT ITSELF. THEREFORE THINGS WHICH ARE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO HONG KONG WILL, BY VIRTUE OF THAT STIPULATION BE IN THE AGREEMENT. THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO SAID, AND I USE THE IR WORDS, THAT THEY WOULD SOLICIT OPINION IN HONG KONG ON A WIDE BASIS. THE PRECISE MECHANISM BY WHICH THAT WOULD BE CARRIED OUT HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED, BUT THE GREATEST PROTECTION IS THE DETAIL WHICH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ENTERED INTO IN THE ANNEXES AND THAT WE BOTH REGARD THAT AS BINDING AND THAT THAT DETAIL WILL BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW. THAT IS VERY CONSIDERABLE PROTECTION.
Q 17.
WONG WING-HUNG, HK STANDARD BUT WILL WE BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN DRAFTING IT?
PRIME MINISTER: THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW, OTHER THAN AS I HAVE INDICATED THAT THE AGREEMENT WITH THE ANNEXES WILL BE STIPULATED IN THE BASIC LAW - THE DRAFTING IS, OF COURSE, A MATTER FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
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