XN000022-1987-01-17 — Page 25

بيا

SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 1987

JONATHAN MERSKY (OBSERVER). I THINK ALL OF US ARE VERY HAPPY ABOUT

THIS, AND IT'S A GOOD APPOINTMENT. NOW I'VE GOT TWO QUESTIONS. ONE Á VERY HARD ONE. DO YOU INTEND TO LEARN CANTONESE? AND THE SECOND ONE 1S EASY-- HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REASSURE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG NOW THAT HU YAOBANG HAS RESIGNED IN PEKING?

SIR DAVID FIRST OF ALL THANK YOU. SECOND QUESTION -- I WOULD

LIKE TO TRY TO MAKE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS IN MY PRESENT RATHER LOW LEVEL KNOWLEDGE OF CANTONESE. I HAVE ACTUALLY DONE A LITTLE BIT OF STUDY OF CANTONESE WHEN I WAS IN HONG KONG AS SPECIAL ADVISER, BUT I HAVE NO GREAT CONFIDENCE IN MY ABILITY IN CANTONESE.

ON THE SECOND ONE, LIKE YOU AND A NUMBER OF PEOPLE I CAN SEE IN THIS ROOM, I OBVIOUSLY FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS IN CHINA VERY CLOSELY, WITH GREAT INTEREST, BUT DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR ME TO COMMENT ON THOSE DEVELOPMENTS.

ONE THING...WELL TWO THINGS I WOULD SAY. FIRST I THINK WE HAVE TO EXPECT CHANGE IN POLITICAL LEADERSHIPS. WE DON'T EXPECT OUR OWN SOCIETIES TO HAVE CONSTANCY OF POLÍTICAL LEADERSHIP, SO WE MUST BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT CHANGE.

SECONDLY AS FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED, WHAT MATTERS, I THINK, IS THE ARRANGEMENT LAID DOWN IN THE JOINT DECLARATION FOR CONTINUITY OF THE SYSTEMS OF HONG KONG, AND FOR THE WAY OF LIFE OF HONG KONG, AND AS I SAID, I HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMITMENT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION.

DAVID HEALY (SCMP AND SCOTTISH DAILY RECORD): SIR DAVID, CAN

I ASK YOU TWO QUESTIONS FOR TWO DIFFERENT PAPERS? FOR THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, CAN 1 ASK YOU HOW LONG DO YOU EXPECT TO BE IN THE JOB AND FOR THE SCOTTISH DAILY RECORD, CAN I ASK YOU WHERE YOU COME FROM IN SCOTLAND? (LAUGHTER).

SIR DAVID : SIR, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE SO MANY SCOTS HERE. THE

FIRST ONE TO... THE ANSWER TO A FELLOW SCOT, JOHN DICKIE, THAT .... THE APPOINTMENT IS AT HER MAJESTY'S PLEASURE, AND AS I SAID I'M CONCENTRATING NOW ON TAKING UP THE JOB AND NOT THINKING ABOUT WHEN I WILL FINISH IT.

THE SECOND, WHERE I COME FROM IN SCOTLAND? I WAS BORN AT ALLOA IN CLACKMANNANSHIRE, WHICH IS A SMALL COUNTY. PROBABLY MOST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM DON'T EVEN KNOW OF IT AND THEN BROUGHT... BROUGHT UP MOSTLY IN EDINBURGH, AND MY FAMILY COME FROM ABERDEENSHIRE.

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/HEALY