XN000022-1989-12-21 — Page 9

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1989

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GOVERNOR: IT

DESIGNED TO

THIS

IS

IS AN IMPORTANT POINT, I BELIEVE, THAT

SCHEME SHOULD NOT KEEP PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. PEOPLE IN BRITAIN IMAGINE THAT THERE IS SUDDENLY GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS RUSH OF PEOPLE I FROM HONG KONG GOING TO BRITAIN. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE.

TO STAY, IF BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE WANT THE ASSURANCE. ALSO, THEY WANT

PACKAGE WHICH DOES THEY POSSIBLY 'CAN, IN HONG KONG. AND THIS IS THE JUST THAT. NOW, YOU CAN NEVER BE SURE WITH EVERY INDIVIDUAL PERSON, THE WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES THEM LEAVE, WHAT IT IS THAT KEEPS THEM HERE. IMPORTANT POINT IS THAT MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE, I BELIEVE, WOULD WANT TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG AND WOULD NOT MOVE TO THE UNITED KINDGOM.

REPORTER:

IN CONFIDENCE SIR, BRITAIN HAS TAKEN THIS STEP TO RESTORE HONG KONG. HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU THAT THE CHINESE HAVE BEEN TAKING

THAT WHAT WE HAVE MEASURES TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE HERE, GIVEN

BEEN HEARING INDICATES THAT THE CHINESE ARE KEEN TO RESTRICT THE ABOUT LEVEL OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG. THEY'VE ALSO EXPRESSED DOUBTS THE BILL OF RIGHTS FOR HONG KONG. HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU THAT PEKING IS TAKING THE NECESSARY MEASURES TOO ?

EFFORTS

GOVERNOR: I BELIEVE THAT RESTORING CONFIDENCE IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS EFFORTS ON ALL SIDES, IT NEEDS

FROM THE BRITISH

IT SIDE, NEEDS EFFORTS FROM THE CHINESE SIDE, IT NEEDS EFFORTS BY US IN HONG KONG, GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WHAT, I HOPE

I HOPE, IS THAT ON THE CHINESE SIDE THEY LOOK AT HOW TO WORK

THE BASIC LAW AND THE VARIOUS OTHER WAYS THAT THEY APPROACHI HONG KONG, THAT THEY WILL

THAT

BE TO LOOK AS CONSTRUCTIVELY AS POSSIBLE,

THEY WILL TRY TO RESPONSIVE AS POSSIBLE TO THE NEEDS AND THE VIEWS THAT ARE EXPRESSED FROM HONG KONG. I THINK THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

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OUT

TRY

AS

REPORTER: THERE WAS, OF COURSE, A TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON CONFIDENCE AS A RESULT OF THE MASSACRE IN PEKING IN JUNE. DO YOU TIUNE THAT THAT HAS NOW BEEN RESTORED TO ANY EXTENT? DO YOU THINK THE SITUATION HAS CHANGED AS FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED”

GOVERNOR:

OF

THAT I DON'T SENSE IN HONG KONG QUITE THE DEGREE

GLOOM THERE WAS IN JUNE AND JULY. WE DO HAVE IN HONG KONG AN ABILITY TO TRY то PICK OURSELVES UP AND TO MAKE THE BEST OF ANY SORT OF SITUATION WE ARE IN. BUT, THAT SAID, THERE IS STILL A GREAT DEAL MORE THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO CREATE THE SORT OF LONG-LASTING CONFIDENCE THAT IS NEEDED

BEEN IN HONG KONG. NOW, THE PACKAGE THAT WE HAVE JUST

IS DISCUSSING ONE OF THOSE MEASURES, BUT JT NEEDS MANY OTHER MEASURES TO BUILD UP THE COMPLETE FOUNDATION OF CONFIDENCE THAT WE WOULD LIKE, LONG TERM.

REPORTER: THE GOVERNMENT'S STATEMENT HAS SAID тоо, THAT THIS SHOULD BE A CLEAR SIGNAL TO THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY THAT BRITAIN HAS TAKEN THE STEP AND IT WANTS OTHER COUNTRIES TO FOLLOW THIS LEAD. WHAT EXACTLY, WHAT SORT OF MEASURES DO YOU NOW HOPE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL TAKE?

GOVERNOR: 1 WOULD EXPECT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT NOW TO APPROACI OTHER GOVERNMENTS AND SAY TO THEM WE HAVE DONE THIS, ARE THERE WAYS IN WHICH YOU, TOO, COULD HELP? HELP IN A SIMILAR SORT OF FASHION?

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MEASURES WHICH HELF TO GIVE PEOPLE CONFIDENCE TO REMAIN IN HONG KONG. AND THAT IS I AM SURE, WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL BE DOING OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS.

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