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VERY SHORT BREAK FOR YOU NOW. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU ARE LISTENING TO THE INTERNATIONAL PHONE-IN ON THE BBC'S WORLD SERVICE, MY GUEST IS SIR DAVID WILSON, THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG, AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT A QUESTION TO HIM AND

QUESTION TO HIM AND IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM THE NUMBER TO CALL IS THE CODE FOR THE UK AND THEN 71-379-7444; I'LL REPEAT THAT: THE CODE FOR THE UK THEN 71-379-7444. AND IF YOU LIVE INSIDE THE UNITED KINGDOM THE NUMBER IS 071-379-0411 THAT IS 071-379-0411. AND WE MOVE ON NOW TO MR WHALEY CALLING FROM HARARE IN ZIMBABWE. MR WHALEY, I'LL LET YOU PUT YOUR QUESTION DIRECTLY TO SIR DAVID.

CALLER : THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON, SIR DAVID.

SIR DAVID: GOOD AFTERNOON, MR WHALEY.

CALLER:

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WE ARE ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN YOUR PROBLEM, SHALL I CALL IT,

BECAUSE WE HAVE A SON WHO IS A SENIOR CROWN COUNSEL WITH YOU IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT THERE. HOW CAN BRITAIN, WHICH HAS ABROGATED ITS AUTHORITY AND SOVEREIGNTY OVER HONG KONG BECAUSE IT OBVIOUSLY CANNOT PHYSICALLY DEFEND IT SUCCESSFULLY HOW CAN IT UNDERWRITE, IF I CAN PUT IT THAT WAY, A GUARANTEE BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT THAT IT WILL HONOUR ITS UNDERTAKING TO CONTINUE HONG KONG'S CAPITALIST BASED ECONOMY AND SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS AFTER THEIR TAKEOVER IN 1997? THIS PARTICULARLY, AFTER THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S SHAMEFUL AND MURDEROUS INVOLVEMENT IN THE HOLOCAUST OF TIANANMEN SQUARE LAST YEAR, AND ESPECIALLY AFTER THE DRAMATIC CHANGES IN EASTERN EUROPE, THEIR THAT IS THE CHINESE FAILURE TO PROGRESS TOWARDS FREEDOM OF POLITICAL AND ALL FORMS OF EXPRESSION, AND TOWARDS A MARKET ECONOMY? IN SUM, AFTER 1997, WHAT WILL, OR CAN BRITAIN DO TO SEE THAT CHINA HONOURS ITS UNDERTAKINGS TOWARDS HONG KONG AND ITS CITIZENS WHO REMAIN ON THERE?

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AND THAT IS TO GET AT WHAT WHY SHOULD PEOPLE HAVE

SIR DAVID: WELL, MR WHALEY, I SUPPOSE I COULD GIVE A SORT OF LEGALISTIC ANSWER TO THAT, SINCE YOUR SON IS A CROWN COUNSEL HERE AND I COULD SAY THAT THERE IS AN INTERNATIONAL TREATY WHICH BRITAIN IS ONE PARTY TO AND CHINA IS THE OTHER PARTY TO, AND BRITAIN HAS A COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE THAT THAT TREATY IS CARRIED OUT. BUT I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO GO RATHER FURTHER THAN THAT, LIES BEHIND YOUR QUESTION, AS IT WERE: CONFIDENCE IN THOSE TREATY ARRANGEMENTS? I DO THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE AND THEY CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THEM, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY. THE

COUNTRIES FIRST REASON IS THAT PEOPLE

DON'T LIGHTLY ENTER INTO TREATY ARRANGEMENTS. THERE WAS A VERY LONG PERIOD OF NEGOTIATION BEFORE THIS ONE WAS SIGNED. THE CHINESE REALLY HAD NO NEED TO SIGN A VERY DETAILED ARRANGEMENT OF THIS SORT FOR TERRITORY WHICH WAS GOING TO BE THEIR'S ANYHOW, BUT THEY DID, THEY PUT AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF EFFORT INTO IT. AND THEY ALSO HAVE THE CHINESE GOVERNMEN A VERY GOOD REPUTATION FOR STICKING TO THEIR INTERNATIONAL TREATIES.

NOW, INTERNALLY, THEIR POLICIES HAVE CHANGED YEAR BY YEAR, AND THEY HAVE CHANGED VERY DRAMATICALLY SOMETIMES, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THEIR INTERNATIONAL RECORD THEY HAVE GOT A VERY GOOD RECORD FOR STICKING TO THEIR TREATIES AND I THINK THEY WOULD WANT TO KEEP THAT REPUTATION. BUT YOU CAN GO BEYOND THAT; YOU CAN SAY, WELL ALRIGHT, PUT THAT ON ONE SIDE DO THEY REALLY HAVE AN INTEREST IN DOING IT? AND THE ANSWER AGAIN, I THINK, IS: YES, THEY DO. HONG KONG IS OF TREMENDOUS BENEFIT TO CHINA. THE HONG KONG ECONOMY, A SUCCESSFUL CAPITALIST ECONOMY, PRODUCES ENORMOUS ADVANTAGES FOR CHINA. THIS TINY LITTLE

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