XN000022-1989-07-04 — Page 22

TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989

5

-

TO

THE

DO YOU REACT HOW (FINANCIAL TIMES) : ELLIOTT JOHN MESSAGE YOU'VE HEARD CONTINUALLY IN THE LAST TWO DAYS, THAT YOUR PLANS FOR PASSPORTS WILL BE DIVISIVE AND COULD DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD?

I

THINK

I

FOUND

SIR GEOFFREY

AN :

INCREASING MAKING REALISATION THAT THERE IS SUBSTANCE IN THE CASE THAT I'VE BEEN

ALL-EMBRACING INSURANCE ABOUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF A COMPREHENSIVE, SCHEME. I THINK THERE IS ALSO AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT CASE IS BASED

SO THEREFORE, ON A REALISTIC APPRECIATION OF REALISTIC FACTORS.

THEY STILL THERE HAS BEEN A DEVELOPMENT IN PEOPLE'S THINKING, WHILE

THAN A THAT ANYTHING LESS TO ARGUE CONTINUE

AND I UNDERSTAND IT

THAT THE BEST FULL SCHEME WILL BE DIVISIVE, THEY DO GO ON TO SAY

IS THAT

THE MOST SHOULD NOT

THE BE

ENEMY OF THE GOOD. I THINK IMPORTANT POINT, IF WE CAN DO ANYTHING TO HELP GIVE GREATER ASSURANCE THAT WILL BI SIGNIFICANT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY BETTER THAN NOTHING.

ΤΟ

SIGNIFICANTLY

—

J

HERE,

JOHN

(FINANCIAL ELLIOTT

TIMES)

PARTS

OR

A SIGNIFICANT

PORTION?

PEOPLE.

SIR GEOFFREY: I DON'T SEE THE DIFFERENCE.

JOHN

SIGNIFICANT ELLIOTT:

PARTS,

MEANS

SELECTING CERTAIN

SIR

IT ON GEOFFREY: OH, I SEE. NO, WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE

BE AS NON-DIVISIVE BASIS

OUR APPROACH MUST THAT IT'LL BE POSSIBLE, AND THAT'S WHY I EMPHASISE THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRIVATE WELL AS THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

THE

AS

AS

WONG SAU-YING (AFP): ARE YOU ASHAMED OF THE FACT THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE DONE SO LITTLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG?

WHICH

SIR GEOFFREY : NO, NOT IN THE LEAST. I'M IMPRESSED BY THE EXTENT TO WHICH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF

HAVE HONG KONG ACKNOWLEDGED THE CANDOUR AND THE ENERGY AND DETERMINATION WITH WE'VE TRIED TO REPRESENT THEIR CASE. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE, TO THEIR CREDIT, ENORMOUS ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF A SITUATION THAT IS

FOR AND IT HISTORICALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALLY UNIQUELY EXPOSED.

IS THAT REASON THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN AT EVERY STAGE,

VERY TO HELP THEM. THE WORK WE HAD TO DO IN FACE OF, WHAT LOOKED LIKE DIFFICULT ODDS

DECLARATION, AT THE OUTSET, TO SECURE THE JOINT

NOW VERY WARMLY APPRECIATED, AND STILL IS. THE FACT THAT IT'S PLACED IN SUCH JEOPARDY BY WHAT'S HAPPENED IN PEKING, IS AS MUCH OF

PEOPLE OP SHOCK TO US AS IT IS TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND THE HONG KONG RECOGNISE THAT WE MUST THEREFORE ALL DO EVERYTHING TOGETHER, TO TRY AND CONSOLIDATE THE POSITION. THE FACT THAT 1 ACCEPT EVERY SINGLE COMPONENT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG PRESCRIBE AS IDEAL, DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE'RE NOT DOING A DEAL.

WAS

BEEN A

WE CAN

CAN'T

WOULD

VERY

GREAT

KONG

/DEAN NELSON