XN000022-1991-04-09 — Page 16

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1991

J

MR HURD: THEY, AS REGARDS THE FOUR THERE WERE FOUR ACTUALLY IN PRISON IN CHINA FROM HONG KONG, THEY SIMPLY ASKED FOR DETAILS OF THE NAMES AND CASES, WHICH WE'VE SUPPLIED. AS REGARDS TIBET, THEY PRODUCED THE EXPLANATION WHICH I THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY EXPECT, ABOUT THE CHANGES FOR THE BETTER WHICH THEY SAID HAD OCCURRED IN TIBET, AND THE BELIEF THAT THESE ARGUMENTS AND CRITICISMS ABOUT TIBET WERE PRODUCED BY PEOPLE WHO WERE HOSTILE TO CHINA, AND THAT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE POINT WHICH I HAVE JUST MADE AND WON'T REPEAT TO YOU, THAT THIS WAS EMPHATICALLY NOT SO.

CHRIS LOCKWOOD (DAILY TELEGRAPH): NOW THE PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG, YOU GAVE THEM THE NAMES, ARE YOU CONFIDENT THAT THEY ARE TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE EXTREMELY HEAVY SENTENCES THAT HAVE HANDED DOWN TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE CROWN?

GOING BEEN

MR HURD: WELL. I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO THE LEGAL ARGUMENT BECAUSE THAT IS ONE, CERTAINLY, WHICH THE CHINESE WOULD STRONGLY DISPUTE. WE WILL SEE. WE WILL SEE WHAT ALLEVIATION THERE MAY BE. THEY DIDN'T, CERTAINLY, UNDERTAKE TO DO ANYTHING ELSE OTHER THAN LOOK AT THE CASES WHEN I PROVIDED THE DETAILS.

WONG SAU YING (AP): MR HURD, MINUTES AGO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW TIANANMEN SQUARE, AND ALSO HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUES, AND TO WHAT EXTENT YOU FEEL THAT SORT OF POST-JUNE 4 SENTIMENT IS STILL HANGING AROUND IN CHINA, AND WHEN IT COMES TO AFFAIRS, WHEN IT COMES TO NEGOTIATIONS OR WHATEVER AFFAIRS THAT IS LINKED TO HONG KONG. TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU THINK THAT THE POST-TIANANMEN SQUARE SENTIMENT IS STILL HANGING AROUND WITHIN THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND WITH THE CHINESE OFFICIALS, WHEN IT COMES TO AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG?

—

-

MR HURD: I THINK SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU BUT I GRASPED YOUR QUESTION I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENED IN TIANANMEN SQUARE HAS HAD A POWERFUL EFFECT ON THE WORKING OUT OF THE JOINT DECLARATION

BOTH WAYS! IT SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASED ANXIETY HERE IN HONG KONG, THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN, AS I SAID, RESILIENCE SINCE THEN. I THINK, ALSO, THE WESTERN REACTION TO WHAT HAPPENED IN TIANANMEN SQUARE, INCREASED THE SUSPICION OF HONG KONG IN SOME PEOPLE'S MINDS IN PEKING. SO I DON'T DOUBT THAT THAT DISASTER, THAT TRAGEDY, HAS HAD AN EFFECT BOTH WAYS ON THE QUESTION WHICH WE'VE SPENT MOST OF THE LAST HOUR OR SO DISCUSSING.

WONG SAU YING: HAVE YOU BEEN IN ANY WAY HELPED TO CLEAR THAT SORT OF SUSPICION TOWARDS HONG KONG AND BRITAIN?

MR HURD: TIME WILL SHOW. OBVIOUSLY IF THERE HAD BREN AN IMMEDIATE AGREEMENT I COULD HAVE ANSWERED THAT QUESTION, YES. AS IT IS I CAN ONLY SAY, TIME WILL SHOW.

WONG SAU YING: SO DOES THAT MEAN THAT'S NO?

+

MR HURD: NO, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT.

YOU

THAT SET

PETER MAIZE (TVB): MR HURD, JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. SAYING THAT WHEN AN AGREEMENT IS FINALLY REACHED ON THE AIRPORT

THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL BE TOLD HOW MUCH MONEY IS GOING TO

WHICH ASIDE FOR THE FUTURE S.A.R. GOVERNMENT, THE MECHANISM THAT MONBY WILL BE SET ASIDE, AND OTHER CONCESSIONS AND AGREEMENTS

ARE

BE

FOR

THAT WERE MADE?

/MR HURD