XN000022-1989-07-04 — Page 20

TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989

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HAVE

SIMON MACKLIN (SCMP) SIR GEOFFREY, WHILE THIS VISIT MAY BEEN OF VALUE TO YOU, WHAT VALUE DO YOU THINK IT HAS BEEN ΤΟ THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO SAY SO LITTLE?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL, ALL THOSE WHO'VE CLAIMED TO SPEAK FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, INCLUDING SOME OF THOSE MOST ANXIOUS ABOUT THE FUTURE, HAVE EXPRESSED THEMSELVES VERY GRATEFUL FOR MY VISIT

HERE, PRECISELY BECAUSE IT HAS GIVEN THEM THE PLAINEST POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS TO ME THEIR ANXIETIES AND THEIR CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSALS THE FUTURE. AND I'VE NO DOUBT THAT HAD I NOT COME AT A TIME OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE FOR HONG KONG, THAT THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DIFFIDENT IN CRITICISING ME FOR FAILING TO TURN UP.

-

FOR

SUCH POST

I'VE COME HERE BECAUSE I WANT TO HEAR AND MEET PEOPLE ON THE SPOT, TO ASSESS FOR MYSELF AND ALSO TO MAKE CERTAIN VERY CLEAR STATEMENTS OF THE KIND THAT I'VE MADE IN THE STATEMENT I'VE JUST GIVEN.

CHRISTOPHER LOCKWOOD (DAILY TELEGRAPH): YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT URGENTLY IMPRESSING UPON THE LEADERSHIP IN CHINA THE NEED FOR THEM TAKE CONCRETE ACTION TO REASSURE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HOW WILL YOU BE DOING THAT? WILL YOU BE VISITING PEKING TO NEGOTIATE DIRECTLY WITH THEM? AND IF YOU GO, WHO WOULD YOU TALK TO? YOU MENTION JIANG ZEMIN IN YOUR SPEECH, BUT NOT LI PENG, DENG XIAOPING, OR YANG SHANKUNG.

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL. LET ME MAKE IT CLEAR, I DON'T HAVE IN MIND ANY

INSTANT PROGRAMME OF BI-LATERAL VISITS OR ANYTHING OF THAT KIND. BUT THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AND DIFFERENT LEVELS AT WHICH WE CAN BEGIN MAKING OUR VIEWS CLEAR. THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN CONTACT THROUGH EMBASSIES AT BOTH ENDS, AND THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES AT WHICH WE CAN HAVE MEETINGS WITH PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT LEVELS AT DIFFERENT STAGES. AND OF COURSE, IN DUE COURSE. I SHALL BE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES OF MAKING DIRECT PERSONAL CONTACT WITH THE MOST APPROPRIATE PEOPLE.

:

AS I SAID IN MY SPEECH ON MONDAY, THE EVENTS OF JUNE 3-4 DESTROYED IN 24 HOURS THE CONSEQUENCES OF TEN YEARS' WORK BY · MANY PEOPLE AND WE SHALL HAVE TO BE WORKING PATIENTLY AND TENACIOUSLY IN A WHOLE RANGE OF DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT HAVE NO DOUBT THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL BE LOOKING FOR AND TAKING EVERY SENSIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR PRESSING AS STRONGLY AS POSSIBLE UPON THOSE NOW IN CHARGE IN PEKING, THE IMPORTANCE FOR THEM, NOT JUST TO TAKE ONE ACTION, BUT TO ACT, AND TO ACT ON A SUSTAINED BASIS, TO TRY TO ERASE THE DAMAGING CONSEQUENCES OF WHAT HAPPENED THERE A MONTH AGO.

/SALLY BLYTH

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