XN000022-1990-01-13 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 1990

"SO THIS ISN'T AN

INTELLECTUAL

COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG IS A VERY PRACTICAL

EXERCISE.

THE

BRITISH

ONE. IT CONTINUES, AND AS THE

IT'S VERY MUCH IN OUR INTEREST, OUR BRITISH INTEREST, AS WELL INTEREST OF HONG KONG, THAT IT SHOULD," MR HURD SAID.

PEOPLE,

MR

51

THAT

HE

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE VIETNAMESE BOAT HURD SAID THE REACTION IN THE WORLD TO THE DECISION TO REPATRIATE BOAT PEOPLE LAST MONTH HAD ACTUALLY BEEN MORE UNDERSTANDING HAD EXPECTED.

"THERE HAVE BEEN CRITICISMS, AS WE KNEW THERE EVERYONE IN HONG KONG KNEW THERE WOULD BE, BUT I THINK

HE SAID. BETTER UNDERSTANDING THAN THERE USED TO BE,

||

WOULD BE,

THERE IS A

AS

THE

*1T REALLY 18 NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE LEFT IN CAMPS. THAT THEY SHOULD BE LEFT IN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HONG KONG AND THE DANGER OF A IT 18 EVEN LESS ACCEPTABLE THAT THERE SHOULD BE FURTHER INFLOW DURING THE SPRING AND SUMMER OF THIS YEAR,

HE ADDED.

THIS HOPE

"1 HAVE BEEN KMPHASISING TO EVERYBODY I HAVE TALKED TO ON SUBJECT, THAT THERE IS THE REAL WORRY OF A FURTHER ONSET, AND I

WOULD HAVE CONVEYED A CLEAR MESSAGE AS THAT THE SENDING BACK OF THE 51

HE SAID. FAR AS THAT IS CONCERNED,

г

1991, MR

ON A QUESTION ABOUT CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HURD SAID THE DECISION TO BE TAKEN WITHIN WEEKS WOULD BE THE FIRST AND IMPORTANT STEP ON WHAT HE HOPED WOULD BE A LONG AND DEMOCRATIC PATH.

THE AS

BRITISH GOVERNMENT, "WH ARE NOT GOING TO SIT BACK,

JOB ΤΟ DO PASSIVELY AND LET THE CLOCK TICK ON TO 1997. WE HAVE A

JOB DURING THIS PERIOD, A JOB SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND A

DURING THAT WHICH COMES FROM BEING THE SOVEREIGN POWER IN HONG KONG TIME," HE SAID.

I WILL BE LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE I MEET, I'LL BE LISTENING TO WILL BE THE COUNCILLORS, I'LL BE LISTENING TO THE OMELCO SO THAT WE BETTER EQUIPPED BACK IN LONDON TO TAKE THE DECISIONS WHICH FALL TO THE

TI HE ADDED. BRITISH GOVERNMENT,

EXPLAINING FOR THE NEXT

"SO IT WILL BE A QUESTION OF LISTENING, BUT ALSO OF WHAT WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED AND HOW WE ARE PREPARING DECISION, MR HURD SAID.

BY

J

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND MRS HURD WERE MET AT THE AIRPORT THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, AND LADY WILSON; THE CHIEF SECRETARY

DAME LYDIA SIR DAVID FORD; THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,

STEPHEN DUNN; THE ACTING SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, MR

AND THE CHRONG; THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSJONER, MR PETER HEAP, SENIOR REPRESENTATIVE OF THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE JOINT LIAISON MR ANTHONY GALSWORTHY.

GROUP,

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