XN000022-1986-01-24 — Page 35

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 1960

MR RENTON : NO, I CERTAINLY DON'T. I SEE ABSOLUTELY NO SIGN OF THE

K GOVERNMENT BEING A LAME DUCK GOVERNMENT. THE ECONOMY HERE IS STRONG, THE HANG SENG INDEX WAS AT A RECORD HIGH A FEW DAYS AGO, PROPERTY PRICES ARE GOOD, AND FOR EXAMPLE THE LAND COMMISSION WORKING JOINTLY BETWEEN HK OFFICIALS AND THE CHINESE HAS ALREADY REACHED AGREEMENT ON THE HANDLING OF LAND PROPERTY SALES AND ON HOW THE PREMIUM ON THESE SALES SHOULD BE DIVIDED. NOW ALL OF THIS IS A SIGN OF ABSOLUTELY ... AN ABSOLUTELY EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT LIVING UP TO ITS RESPONSIBILITIES, AND THE SAME WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. I MEAN INSOFAR AS WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADMINISTRATION WE'RE GOING TO LIVE UP TO OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT DECLARATION IN FULL. ON THE ACTUAL QUOTATION, MADAM, WITH WHICH YOU STARTED OF UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO THINK, AND I HAVE STRONG CONFIDENCE THAT THIS WILL BE SO, THAT IN THE LIGHT OF THE STATEMENT THAT I ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT AND THAT I REPEATED TO YOU THIS MORNING UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS, AS I SAID EARLIER, THEY WILL NOW SEE THAT WE HAVE NOT GOT A CLOSED MIND ON THESE VÉRY SENSITIVE NATIONALITY ISSUES AND THEY OF COURSE WILL BE RIDING ALONG WITH US TO SEE WHAT WE CAN WORK OUT IN PRACTICAL DETAILS IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD ON THESE ISSUES. BUT LET ME STRESS AGAIN THERE ARE VERY SUBSTANTIAL DIFFICULTIES OF PRINCIPLE ON THE QUESTION OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES AND THE EX-SERVICEMEN. THESE WERE SPELT OUT IN DETAIL IN BOTH THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE BY THE RESPONSIBLE MINISTERS. I DON'T WANT THEREFORE TO GO INTO THEM IN DETAIL AGAIN THIS MORNING UNLESS YOU WISH ME TO, BUT IT WOULD BE QUITE WRONG NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THESE VERY SUBSTANTIAL DIFFICULTIES OF PRINCIPLE EXIST.

Q. MK RENTON, FENELLA SUN FROM RTHK. YOU MENTIONED THAT BRITAIN HAS NO PRECONCEIVED IDEA ABOUT HOW HK IS TO BE RUN, BUT IS IT TRUE THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE SOME KIND OF AGREEMENT ON THE BASELINE OR THE PRINCIPLES OF HOW HK IS GOING TO BE RUN?

IF SC, WHAT ARE THE PRINCIPLES, AND, IF NOT, WHY DON'T YOU RAISE THIS POINT WITH THE CHINESE?

MR RENTON: I THINK, MADAM, YOU REALLY ARE ANTICIPATING THE DISCUSSIONS, THE DETAILED DISCUSSIONS AS I SAID EARLIER THAT ARE GOING TO OCCUPY YOU ALL OVER THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD. I MEAN. QUITE CLEARLY YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE AN INTENSIVE POLITICAL DEBATÉ IN HK. THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY MADE CLEAR TO ME WHEN I WAS HERE IN OCTOBER. THERE ARE GOING TO BE ALL SORTS OF VIEWS EXPRESSED BY INTERESTED HK PEOPLE, BE THEY PROFESSORS, BE THEY JOURNALISTS, BE THEY PARLIAMENTARÍANS, ABOUT THE WAY THE COURSE OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE SHOULD HAPPEN. NÓW THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, YOUR PRIVILEGE, IN A FREE SOCIETY. I DON'T, AND MY GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE A PRECONCEIVED VIEW ON THE DETAIL, WE DON'T HAVE PRECONCEPTIONS ABOUT THE FORM OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE THAT SHOULD HAPPEN BECAUSE WE WANT TO SEE WHAT'S IN THE 87 REVIEW, AS YOU DO.

AS YOU DO. AND THEREFORE WE AREN'T HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS WITH THE CHINESE, THE DETAIL AT THIS STAGE, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE, I THINK YOU USED THE PHRASE, A BASEL 'NE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT WE STAND FOUR SQUARE BEHIND IMPLEMENTING THIS DOCUMENT, THE DRAFT AGREEMENT. THESE ARE WHERE THE PRINCIPLES ARE, THIS IS WHERE THE BASELINE IS, AND WE ARE WHOLLY COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THIS. SO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, DO I BELIEVE, ARE THE CHINESE.

/Q. STEPHEN