XN000022-1989-07-03 — Page 4

MONDAY, JULY 3, 1989

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BRITAIN HAD ALSO SUSPENDED HIGH LEVEL VISITS; POSTPONED NEW CO- OPERATION PROJECTS, AND CUT BACK CULTURAL,

CUT BACK CULTURAL, SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL CO-OPERATION.

"IN PARTICULAR TIIE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE REAFFIRMED OUR DETERMINATION TO STAND BY HONG KONG," SIR GEOFFREY SAID.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HE WAS DISMAYED AT THE DAMAGE DONE IN THE NAME OF CHINA TO THE FAITH AND CONFIDENCE OF EVERYONE IN BRITAIN AND HONG KONG WHO HAD LABOURED SO HARD OVER THE YEARS ΤΟ CONSTRUCT A SOLID RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA.

AS

HE SAID THE CORE OF THAT WORK HAD BEEN THE BUILDING OF A SECURE FUTURE FOR HONG KONG. WHICH HAD BEEN HIS CONSTANT CARE AND CONCERN FOREIGN SECRETARY.

AN

"TOGETHER WE FACED A REALLY DAUNTING TASK: TO NEGOTIATE WITH AUTHORITARIAN COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT AN AGREEMENT WHICH WOULD PRESERVE HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE, ITS FREEDOMS AND ITS ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.

"WE SUCCEEDED AGAINST THE ODDS. THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS WELCOMED AS OFFERING THE BEST POSSIBLE GUARANTEE OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE, SIR GEOFFREY SAID.

"THE

QUESTION EVERYONE IS ASKING NOW IS QUITE SIMPLY THIS: IS IT STILL A WORTHWHILE AGREEMENT? LET ME TELL YOU THAT I AM MYSELF CONVINCED THAT IT IS," HE SAID.

SIR GEOFFREY SAID THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS NOT PRODUCED FOR THE GOOD TIMES. IT WAS AN AGREEMENT FOR THE BAD TIMES AS WELL THE GOOD.

ONLY AS

THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS AN INTERNATIONALLY BINDING TREATY, AND WHILE THE EVENTS OF RECENT WEEKS DID NOT MAKE IT ANY LESS BINDING, THEY DID MAKE ITS STRICT OBSERVANCE ALL THE MORE NECESSARY, THIE FOREIGN SECRETARY NOTED.

"IT IS

REGISTERED AT THE UNITED NATIONS, OF WHOSE SECURITY COUNCIL WE AND CHINA ARE PERMANENT MEMBERS," SIR GEOFFREY SAID.

"THE WHOLE POINT OF THE AGREEMENT WAS AND IS TO SAFEGUARD HONG KONG FROM THE KIND OF PROBLEMS IN CHINA OF WHICH WE HAVE JUST SEEN AN EXTREME EXAMPLE," HE EXPLAINED.

"THE AGREEMENT IS INTENDED TO PROVIDE FOR HONG KONG, WITHIN THE LARGER CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY, A SECURE, DISTINCT EXISTENCE OF ITS OWN," HE ADDED.

SIR GEOFFREY POINTED OUT THAT RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA HAD NOT ALTERED THE ASSUMPTIONS ON WHICH THE AGREEMENT WAS BASED.

"QUITE THE CONTRARY. WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN CHINA HAS DEMONSTRATED CLEARLY THE VALUE OF THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' CONCEPT, NOT DISPROVED IT," HE SAID.

THERE HAD