XN000022-1988-05-31 — Page 28

11 -

TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1988

JEREMY THOMPSON: IF 1 COULD JUST BRIEFLY FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

HOGWASH OR NOT, MANY PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WHO LIVE HERE WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT IS A STRONG IMPRESSION AMONGST PEOPLE ON THE STREET. DO YOU FEEL YOU HAVE MANAGED TO ALLAY THEIR FEARS?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL., EVERY TIME YOU ASK ME THE QUESTION IT GIVES ME A FURTHER OPPORTUNITY OF DOING SO. AS I SAID YESTERDAY, LET ME ONCE AND FOR ALL DISPOSE OF THE MYTH THAT BRITAIN EVER HAS OR EVER WOULD SACRIFICE HONG KONG'S INTERESTS IN THE PURSUIT OF BETTER SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS. WE WON'T, WE SHOULDN'T, AND WE CAN'T. OF COURSE I CAN'T GUARANTEE IN RELATION TO HONG KONG, ANY MORE THAN ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT IN RELATION TO ANY OTHER SOCIETY IN THE WORLD CAN POINT TO THE INFINITE FUTURE WITH THE REMOVAL OF EVERY KIND OF ANXIETY. I CAN'T DO THAT.

WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT BRITAIN DIDN'T WORK ΤΟ PRODUCE THE JOINT DECLARATION IN ORDER TO SEE IT CAST AWAY. WE WORKED TO SEE IT TRANSLATED INTO PRACTICE AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHINESE PEOPLE, I BELIEVE, HAVE A VERY POWERFUL INTEREST IN ACHIEVING THAT AS WELL. HONG KONG IS HERE, ONE OF THE MIRACLE SOCIETIES IN THE WORLD. DENG XIAOPING DESIGNED THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEM APPROACH IN ORDER TO ENABLE THE TWO TO COME TOGETHER AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. IT WILL SERVE THEIR INTERESTS IN THE LONGER RUN, BY THE STANDARDS OF HISTORY, AND WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE IT.

HONG KONG PEOPLE. INCIDENTALLY, ARE DOING MAGNIFICENTLY THEMSELVES TO SUSTAIN THEIR ACTIVITIES, TO SUSTAIN THEIR SUCCESS. AND I BELIEVE THAT, TOGETHER, IT CAN BE DONE. THAT IS MY PURPOSE ANYWAY.

LEUNG SUK-YING (TIN TIN DAILY NEWS): IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO ACCEPT MORE VIETNAMESE REFUGEES FROM HONG KONG, AND CONSIDER TO CHANGE THE POLICY THAT HONG KONG PROVIDES A PLACE OF FIRST ASYLUM, THEN HOW CAN YOU JUSTIFY THAT BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS SINCERE TO UPHOLD THE OBLIGATIONS AND THE COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG?

SIR GEOFFREY: I DON'T QUITE FOLLOW, BUT I THINK THE POINT I HAVE MADE 15 THAT BRITAIN CERTAINLY HAS ACCEPTED A LARGE NUMBER OF REFUGEES FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA, I THINK ABOUT 20,000 SINCE 1975 AND ABOUT 13,000 FROM HONG KONG. WE ARE STILL TAKING A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER.

BRITAIN · OR ANY

THE REAL POINT IS THAT NO COUNTRY, WHETHER OTHER COUNTRY IN NORTH AMERICA, AUSTRALASIA, OR EUROPE, AND LEAST OF ALL HONG KONG, CAN RE EXPECTED ΤΟ GO ON PAYING THE VIETNAM'S ECONOMIC MISMANAGEMENT. ONE HAS GOT TO MAKE IT THERE IS NO FUTURE THAT CAN BE EXPECTED BY THE PEOPLE COMING THROUGH HONG KONG TO THE REST OF THE WORLD ALONG THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING. THAT IS THE POINT I AM MAKING.

PENALTY OF CLEAR THAT OF VIETNAM THE LINES

/12