XN000022-1985-11-30 — Page 3

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1985

'DISCUSSION ON POLITICAL REFORMS USEFUL'

*****

THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG IS A MATTER OF INTEREST AND AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT DURING THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP MEETING WAS QUITE USEFUL, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE NEW ADMINISTRATION BUILDING OF THE OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL, SIR DAVID SAID THE DISCUSSION OF POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG WAS NOT PRE-ARRANGED BEFORE THE SECOND JOINT LIAISON GROUP MEETING.

NOTING THAT THE AGENDA OF THE JLG WAS ALWAYS KEPT CONFIDENTIAL, HE SAID +EACH SIDE CAN RAISE MATTERS THAT IT WISHES TO. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THESE MEETINGS.

+SO IF THIS WAS RAISED AND A DISCUSSION TOOK PLACE THIS IS ENTIRELY UP TO THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THIS IS THE FUNCTION OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP,+ HE SAID.

ASKED WHETHER THE DISCUSSION OF POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG BY THE JLG REPRESENTED A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE ON THE BRITISH SIDE, SIR DAVID SAID. NO, I THINK IF THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION, IF INFORMATION IS ASKED FOR, AND INFORMATION IS GIVEN, THAT IS NOT A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE REALLY.

SIR DAVID ADDED THAT THINGS LIKE THIS COULD BE RAISED FOR THE SAKE OF OBTAINING INFORMATION.

ASKED WHETHER THE CHINESE SIDE HAD EXPRESSED ANY OPINION ON POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID HE COULD NOT GIVE THIS KIND OF DETAILS AS WHAT GOES ON IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IS A MATTER FOR THE CONFIDENCE OF BOTH SIDES.

+ BUT AS I SAID, IF AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION TAKES PLACE I'M SURE IT IS USEFUL, HE ADDED.

ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE JLG MEETING, SIR DAVID SAID THE GROUP HAD ISSUED A STATEMENT IN WHICH IT WAS SAID THAT THEY HAD SATISFACTORY PROGRESS AND HAD SATISFACTORY TALKS ON A NUMBER OF SUBJECTS.

+WE MUST ACCEPT THAT THAT IS THE CASE, IN FACT. AND GRADUALLY AS THE WEEKS AND MONTHS GO BY, WE WILL LEARN MORE AND MORE ABOUT IT, HE SAID.

ON WHETHER DR DAVID WILSON WOULD PASS THROUGH HONG KONG ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE UK, SIR DAVID SAID HE WOULD GO STRAIGHT BACK.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHY THE WORDS +TRAVEL DOCUMENT+ RATHER THAN +PASSPORT+ WERE ISSUED IN THE COMMUNIQUE ISSUED BY THE JLG, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD NOT ACTUALLY SEEN THE OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE BUT OF COURSE THE JOINT DECLARATION TALKS OF TRAVEL DOCUMENTS+.

ASKED TO

E