XN000022-1987-09-19 — Page 30

15

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1987

A:

IS THAT THROUGH

WELL, WE LIVE IN A PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES AND THAT HONG KONG IS A DEPENDENT TERRITORY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE CONDUCT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS THROUGH THE UNITED KINGDOM. BUT DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THE CONCERNS WHICH ARE REPRESENTED BY MANY OF

THE COMMENTS I HAVE HEARD OVER THE LAST DAY OR TWO, ARE NOT FED BACK TO THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT TO MAKE CLEAR SO FAR AS THOSE FOREIGN RELATIONS ARE CONCERNED. SO IT IS TAKEN CARE OF.

.

COULD YOU GIVE

(TAM MAY-FUNG, TA KUNG PAO): LORD GLENARTHUR, US YOUR OPINION ON CONVERGENCE OF THE BASIC LAW AND THE POLITICAL REFORM?

A:

WELL, I THINK THAT WE HAVE GOT TO WORK TOWARDS THE FUTURE IN AS A PRAGMATIC AND SENSIBLE WAY AS WE CAN. I HOPE THAT IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO CONDUCT THE VERY THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE GOING ON ON THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE WITH AT THE SAME TIME THE CONSIDERATION THAT IS GOING ON

THAT WILL STEM FROM THE WORK

ON THE REVIEW WHICH IS TAKING PLACE AT THE MOMENT. THE IMPORTANT THING IS THAT THOSE TWO SHOULD GO IN PARALLEL AND I HAVE EVERY HOPE THAT THEY IN FACT WILL DO SO. WE WILL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE THE RESULT OF THE REVIEW BUT I HAVE EVERY CONFIDENCE THAT WE WILL END UP WITH

A PRACTICAL SOLUTION AT THE END.

Q.

(SA NI HARTE, SUNDAY MORNING POST): THE 1984 WHITE PAPER STATED THAT THERE WAS A POLITICAL REVIEW THIS YEAR. COULD YOU GIVE US SOME INDICATION WHETHER THERE WILL BE ANOTHER POLITICAL REVIEW AFTER THIS?

A:

I AM IN NO POSITION TO TALK ABOUT REVIEWS BEYOND 1987. I THINK WE HAVE GOT TO GET THIS ONE OVER FIRST AND THEN WE WILL HAVE THE RESULT IN DUE COURSE FOLLOWED BY THE WHITE PAPER BEYOND THAT. AND I AM AFRAID I HAVE NO FURTHER PLANS FOR A REVIEW.

THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

J

#

I