XN000022-1988-05-31 — Page 20

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TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988

ΤΟ

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, 1 DREW ATTENTION IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY VARIOUS ASPECTS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN IDENTIFIED AS REQUIRING FURTHER CONSIDERATION. THERE OBVIOUSLY ARE OUTSTANDING AREAS THAT NEED TO BE EXAMINED AND RESOLVED; THAT'S THE WHOLE OBJECT OF THE CONSULTATIVE PERIOD. THAT IS WHY I SAID IN MY STATEMENT JUST NOW THAT PEOPLE MUST MAKE THE MOST OF THE CONSULTATIVE PERIOD.

AS I ALSO SAID IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY BRITAIN WILL PLAY ITS PART IN THAT PROCESS BECAUSE WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE AND ASSERT OUR INTEREST IN SEEING THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS FAITHFULLY TRANSLATED INTO THE BASIC LAW.

SIMON FUNG: BUT SO FAR HAVE YOU SPOTTED ANY MISSING PROVISION IN THE DRAFT?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, 1 AM NOT GOING TO BEGIN REHEARSING MY CATALOGUE, SO TO SPEAK, OF POSSIBLE POINTS. I IDENTIFIED SOME OF THEM IN MY SPEECH YESTERDAY. OTHERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFYING THINGS THAT OCCURRED TO THEM. IT IS VERY EARLY IN THE CONSULTATIVE PROCESS. Į THINK [T [S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THAT PROCESS SHOULD BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. PEOPLE SHOULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING POINTS OF VIEW ACROSS TO THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE, AND THROUGH THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTER.

JAMES TAM (SING PAO DAILY NEWS): SIR, AS THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WHAT YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE DONE AND WOULD по ΤΟ PRESS THE HANOI GOVERNMENT TO STOP THE OUTFLOW OF THE PEOPLE AND ΤΟ TAKE BACK THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY IN HONG KONG NOW?

BEEN PRESSING

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, IT'S A CASE WE HAVE ALREADY INTERNATIONALLY IN A NUMBER OF PLACES. IT'S A CASE WHICH WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS AND DIRECTLY, OF COURSE, ON THE GOVERNMENT OF VIETNAM, BECAUSE AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, IT CANNOT BE RIGHT FOR A CONTINUOUS FLOW OF PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM TO BE SEEKING PLACES ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD TO FIND A FUTURE WHICH THEY SHOULD BE FINDING WITHIN VIETNAM ITSELF.

CHRIS PETERSON (REUTERS): SIR GEOFFREY, YOU INDICATED IN YOUR PREAMBLE THAT CAMBODIA AND THE VIETNAMESE PRESENCE THERE HOLDS AT LEAST PART OF THE KEY TO THE REFUGEE QUESTION. WILL YOU BE IN ANY WAY TALKING TO THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT TO SEE IF THEY CAN BRING PRESSURE TO BEAR ON HANO]?

ANY

THAN THIS

SIR GEOFFREY: WE HAVE ALREADY DONE SO. INDEED, ON MORE ONE OCCASION WHEN I

I'VE SPOKEN TO MR SHEVARDNADZE 1 HAVE RAISED POINT AND INVITED HIM TO ADDRESS HIMSELF TO THE QUESTION. WE'VE ALSO DONE IT, OF COURSE, AT OTHER INTERNATIONAL GATHERINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE RECENT MEETING OF BUROPEAN COMMUNITY AND ASEAN GOVERNMENTS IN DUSSELDORF. I THINK IT IS VERY CLEAR THAT VIETNAM SHOULD GET OUT OF CAMBODIA AND THAT VIETNAM SHOULD BE PRESSED TO DO SO BY THE SOVIET UNION. IT'S EQUALLY CLEAR THAT SHE DOES NEED ΤΟ RE-ADDRESS HERSELF FUNDAMENTALLY TO THE DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES OF THE MISCONCEIVED ECONOMIC POLICIES SHE'S BEEN FOLLOWING.

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