XN000022-1986-10-12 — Page 28

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SIR GEOFFREY: THE ASSESSMENT OF THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, LIKE THE ASSESSMENT OF OPINION ON SO MANY QUESTIONS, IS SOMETHING WHICH TAKES PLACE NOT ONLY THROUGH DIFFERENT LIAISON CHANNELS BUT IN PART IN PUBLIC AND IN PART IN THE CONFIDENTIAL DELIBERATIONS, THAT IS A NECESSARY PART OF THE WORKING OF ANY BODY LIKE EXCO. BUT THE DISCUSSION OF IT IN LEGCO, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOT BEHIND CLOSE DOORS. DISCUSSIONS OF IT IN THE HONG KONG PRESS IS ANYTHING BUT BEHIND CLOSE DOORS. ALL THOSE MANIFESTATIONS OF HONG KONG OPINIONS ARE FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BOTH BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HERE AND OF COURSE BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AS WELL. I CAN'T DO MORE THAN EXPLAIN THE PROCESS, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THAT PROCESS.

QUESTION: ARE YOU SAYING THAT IN THE POLITICAL REVIEW TO BE CONDUCTED NEXT YEAR THE POWER OF THE GOVERNOR AND ALSO THE EXCO AND LEGCO WILL BE REVIEWED AND WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON SUCH CHANGES OF POWER?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, AGAIN, THE WHOLE RANGE OF QUESTIONS IS OPEN FOR CONSIDERATION AND REPRESENTATION BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG DURING THE TIME BEFORE THE COMPLETION OF THE REVIEW, BUT ON THAT TOPIC, AS ON ANY OTHER, I CAN'T ANTICIPATE, AND IT WOULDN'T BE WISE FOR ME TO ANTICIPATE, WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE. I AM NOT HERE TO EXPRESS THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE: I AM HERE TO SAY THAT WE ARE READY TO LISTEN TO THEM.

QUESTION (WRITTEN): WHAT IS THE CURRENT POSITION ABOUT THE SALE OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO CHINA? EXCLUDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE WE (BRITAIN) WILLING TO SELL ANYTHING WE PRODUCE OURSELVES? DO WE STILL REFER TO COCOM IN PARIS?

SIR GEOFFREY: THE ARRANGEMENTS UNDER WHICH BRITAIN

AND OTHER PARTICIPANTS IN COCOM DETERMINE WHAT CAN OR CAN'T BE SOLD, THAT'S WELL UNDERSTOOD, AND WE TAKE AN IMPORTANT PART IN ENSURING THAT THE WORKING OF COCOM IN RELATION TO CHINA AND OTHER COUNTRIES IS NO MORE RESTRICTIVE THAN IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY BUT IT CAN'T BE SWEPT AWAY.

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QUESTION: DO YOU EXPECT YOUR TALKS IN PEKING WILL TOUCH ON THE SUMMIT MEETING THIS WEEKEND IN REYKJAVIK, IN PARTICULAR AS IT AFFECTS THE CHANGING BIG POWER ATTITUDE TOWARDS BRITISH MISSILES AND TO CHINESE CONCERN ABOUT ANY NUCLEAR ARMS DEAL LEADING TO MORE INTERMEDIATE RANGE MISSILES BEING MOVED TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, I'M SURE THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE REYKJAVIK MEETING WILL BE ONE OF THE FEATURES WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF OUR MEETINGS ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE CONCLUSION OF THAT, AND OBVIOUSLY THE PROSPECTS FOR ARMS CONTROL - FOR AGREEMENT ON ARMS CONTROL – WILL BE ANOTHER OF THE TOPICS WE SHALL BE DISCUSSING AS WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, AND IN SUCH DISCUSSIONS THE IMPORTANCE OF BRITISH AND CHINESE POSSESSION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS WILL ALSO BE A FEATURE. OUR POSITION HAS BEEN STATED VERY MANY TIMES YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCUS CLASSICUS IN MY 1983 SPEECH TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. YOU'RE ALSO RIGHT TO EMPHASISE THAT ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT POSSIBLE ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENTS IN RELATION TO INTERMEDIATE RANGE NUCLEAR WEAPONS MUST OF COURSE TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE POSITION IN ASIA AS WELL AS IN THE REST OF THE WORLD.

/QUESTION: WE