XN000022-1990-01-16 — Page 32

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990

HERE

WE CAN'T IMPRISON

MR HURD: IF THEY LEAVE, THEY LEAVE. AND THAT IS NOT THE INTENTION OF THE PACKAGE. THE INTENTION TO GIVE THEM SUFFICIENT CONFIDENCE TO STAY.

THEM IS

PAUL HARRINGTON (HK STANDARD}: MR HURD, HAS YOUR BRIEF VISIT. APART FROM ENCOURAGING YOU ON THE CHANGES IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE, HAS IT CHANGED YOUR OPINIONS OF HONG KONG AT ALL?

MR HURD:

I DON'T THINK IT HAS. REALLY. BUT UP TO NOW

I CAME HERE AS A YOUNG DIPLOMAT MANY TIMES, REALLY, FROM PEKING, BUT 1 WASN'T INVOLVED IN ALL THE EXCITEMENTS OF GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG. I WAS PETRIFIED AT GOING TO GOVERNMENT HOUSE THAT I READILY RECALL. AFTER THAT, I CAME HERE WITH MR HEATH. AND I CAME HERE WITH MRS THATCHER SUCH HAS BEEN THE VARIETY OF MY POLITICAL LIFE BUT THOSE AGAIN WERE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. I MEAN THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WHICH I HAVE REALLY BEEN IMMERSED SHALL WE PUT IT IN THAT WAY

IMMERSED IN HONG KONG AND MET SO MANY HONG KONG PEOPLE. AND I'VE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THAT.

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THAT THE

PATRICIA LEUNG (TIN TIN DAILY NEWS): DO YOU AGREE PROVISION NUMBER 23 OF THE BASIC LAW DRAFT WILL MUCH TIGHTEN CONTROL OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OVER THE SAR GOVERNMENT SO THAT IT WILL AFFECT THE AUTONOMY OF THE SAR GOVERNMENT? AND WILL YOU TRY TO RAISE ANY SUGGESTION TO IMPROVE THAT?

MR HURD:

WELL I THINK I HAVE ANSWERED, AS FAR AS I CAN. QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATE OF THE BASIC DRAFT LAW. WE'RE NOT NEGOTIATORS ROUND THAT TABLE. WE HAVE TAKEN OPPORTUNITIES. AND WILL CONTINUE SO LONG AS THAT IS POSSIBLE, TO EXPRESS OUR VIEWS PRIVATELY ABOUT THE CONTENT OF THE LAW. AND WE'VE TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY то EXPRESS TO THE CHINESE CERTAIN OPINIONS WHICH WE'VE FORWARDED BECAUSE WE'VE RECEIVED THEM FROM HERE.

CHEUNG KIT-FUNG

IASIAWEEK):

SOME PEOPLE HAVE VIEWED YOUR TRIP AS A SUCCESSFUL PR EXERCISE. DO YOU THINK THAT IS A FAIR JUDGEMENT? AND NUMBER TWO, WHAT ARE THE MAIN PRIORITIES THAT YOU

WILL CARRY BACK TO LONDON?

MR HURD:

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IT'S A HARD LIFE. ISN'T IT? I MEAN, [F YOU DON'T SER THE MEDIA. IF YOU'VE DASHED PAST THRM AT ALL THE STREET CORNERS WHERE YOU'VE COLLECTED IN THE RAIN SOMETIMES IF YOU DO ALL THAT YOU'RE ACCUSED OF BEING HAUGHTY AND ARROGANT AND NEGLECTFUL. IF YOU DO PAUSE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS AT EVERY STREET CORNER. YOU'RE TOLD YOU'RE ON A PR TRIP. I'VE LONG AGO LEARNED. YOU CAN'T WIN IN THESE EXCHANGES. I'VE TRIED TO DO MY BEST AND I WILL CARRY BACK TO LONDON A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC OPINIONS WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY MUCH MORE VIVID

YOU IF THEY ARE EXPRESSED TO

DIRECTLY

A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC OPINIONS. NOT ALL OF THEM HARMON FOUS. NOT ALL OF THEM THE SAME. BUT ALSO AN IMPRESSION OF A TERRITORY, A HUGE MAJORITY OF WHOSE CITIZENS, WHOSE PEOPLE. ARE WORKING BARD AS THEY HAVE ALWAYS DONE. FOR A FUTURE WHICH COULD BE AMAZING. RUT THE HARD WORK. THE IMAGINATION. THE EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE. GO ALONGSIDE THE ANXIETIES OF THE PRESENT. AND THAT'S THE IMPRESSION I'LL CARRY BACK.

T