XN000022-1989-10-19 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1989

HAD CALLED FOR A SAID

JUNE. SOME THAT SINCE SIR DAVID

A RE-NEGOTIATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, BUT HE DID NOT SEE THIS AS REALISTIC OPTION.

"HONG KONG'S FUTURE LIES WITH CHINA. THE WAY IN WHICH

DOWN IN KEEP ITS AUTONOMY IN MOST OF WHAT IT DOES IS LAID AND BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT.

"THERE

IS

NO

PROSPECT

IT WILL A SOLEMN

LEASE ON

FUNDAMENTALLY THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION

" HE SAID.

FOR A NEW DIFFERENT TERMS. WHAT WE MUST STRIVE FOR 18 OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IN BOTH SPIRIT AND LETTER.

THE GOVERNOR RESTATED ON THE ISSUE OF

ON THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE PROBLEM,

SENSITIVITIES AMERICAN THAT HONG KONG UNDERSTOOD RETURNING BOAT PEOPLE TO THEIR HOMELAND.

HE SAID THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN DISCUSSED AT GENEVA IN EARLIER THIS WEEK WHICH. UNFORTUNATELY, FAILED TO REACH

TO THE IMPORTANT

EXACTLY OF ISSUE

HOW

HANDLE

THE

A MEETING AGREEMENT QUESTION

ON

OF

VIETNAM. BUT,

RETURNING TO THEIR HOMES THOSE WHO WERE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES.

"YOU HAVE A HISTORY OF DIFFICULT RELATIONS WITH AS YOU LOOK AT THE PROBLEM WE AND THE OTHERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA FACE IN DEALING WITH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO COME HERE TO THE AT HOW WE UNITED STATES BUT WILL NEVER GET HERE. I ASK YOU TO LOOK

SYMPATHY AND ARE

TO TRYING

DEAL WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING, SIR DAVID SAID.

"I

HUMAN

WITH TRAGEDY

HK MUST ULTIMATELY TAKE OWN DECISIONS ON VBP

RIGHT,

HONG KONG MUST ULTIMATELY TAKE ITS OWN DECISIONS ON VIETNAMESE

A BOAT PEOPLE AND GO AHEAD IN

WAY THAT IT THINKS IS

THE WEDNESDAY (OCTOBER GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID IN WASHINGTON ON 18).

NOT HONG KONG WOULD HAVE TO DO SO EVEN IF IT DID

SIR WORLD, 100 PER CENT AGREEMENT" FROM EVERYONE IN THE REPORTERS IN A PRESS BRIEFING BEFORE FLYING TO CALIFORNIA.

HAVE "TOTAL DAVID TOLD

++

HE SAID.

WHY

'WE HAVE TO FACE IT, WE HAVE TO TAKE THE DECISIONS,'

HONG KONG HAD TO EXPLAIN, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, IT WAS TAKING THESE DECISIONS.

"IT'S VERY IMPORTANT INDEED THAT WE SHOULD EXPLAIN THINKING AS CAREFULLY AS WE CAN TO PEOPLE LIKE THE UNITED STATES, ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO TAKE THE DECISION BASED ON WHAT WE THINK IS RIGHT POLICY FOR HONG KONG," HE SAID.

SIR DAVID SAID THERE WAS BY NO MEANS A UNANIMOUS TO THE ORDERLY RETURN OF BOAT PEOPLE TO VIETNAM.

OUR

BUT

THE

VIEW OPPOSED

/"THERE'S A