XN000022-1991-09-05 — Page 3

2

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 1991

IT

IS AN INDICTMENT OF THE POLICIES OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT THAT THE BOAT PEOPLE LEFT THEIR COUNTRY IN THE FIRST PLACE. IT IS

A CREDIT TO HONG KONG THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED ACCOMMODATION, HEALTH CARE AND EDUCATION FOR SO MANY PEOPLE.

+

A SUBSTANTIAL MINORITY OF THE VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE ARE REFUGEES. UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION, THOSE WHO ARE REFUGEES HAVE A RIGHT TO BE RESETTLED ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD, AND THEY ARE.

THE HAVE BUT MOST ARE ECONOMIC MIGRANTS HONG KONG DOES NOT CAPACITY TO ACCOMMODATE THEM FOREVER. THEY WILL HAVE TO RETURN HOME, BUT THEY MUST BE ABLE TO RETURN HOME WITHOUT FEAR OF REPRISALS. WE ARE NEGOTIATING WITH THE NEW VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT

THE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF CENTRES THAT WOULD BE INTERNATIONALLY MANAGED AND UNDER THE CONTROL OF UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES. THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT AS

THE NON-REFUGEES WILL BE ABLE TO RETURN TO THOSE CENTRES IN FIRST INSTANCE. THAT IS THE BEST WAY FORWARD.

TIME

THE

NEXT WEEK, THERE WILL BE ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG. FOR THE FIRST

ALSO FOR THERE WILL BE DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF LEGCO. FIRST TIME, THE NEW LEGCO WILL HAVE A MAJORITY OF ELECTED MEMBERS. SRATS THIS IS THE FIRST POINT IN A RISING CURVE OF DIRECTLY ELECTED WHICH WILL, WITH AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE, CONTINUE UP TO AND BEYOND 1997.

CHINESE OF COURSE WE NEED TO DISCUSS THIS MATTER WITH THE PROGRESS IS TO BE SUSTAINED. WE SHALL WANT TO DISCUSS WITH THEM, THE RIGHT TIME AND IN THE LIGHT OF THE EXPERIENCE GAINED THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTIONS IN 1995.

THIS

IF

AT YEAR,

NO VISITOR CAN FULLY SHARE THE CHALLENGE WHICH HONG KONG FACES A9

THAT WE APPROACH 1997. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE TO LIVE WITH REALITY EVERY DAY, SOVEREIGNTY WILL REVERT TO CHINA IN 1997 AND IT IS HONG KONG AND CHINA WHO WILL HAVE TO MAKE A REALITY OF THE CONCEPT OF 'ONE COUNTRY AND TWO SYSTEMS'. BUT I BELIEVE THE JOINT DECLARATION, AGREED IN 1984, IS THE BEST BASIS FOR HONG KONG'S FUTURE. THERE WILL THAT BE DIFFICULTIES AS THERE ARE IN ANY RELATIONSHIP, LET ALONE ONE REQUIRES TWO DIFFERENT POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC SYSTEMS TO WORK TOGETHER. BUT WE ARE NOT SAYING TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG: HERE IS THE JOINT DECLARATION, NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO MAKE IT WORK. MAKING IT WORK

A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME AND FOR MY GOVERNMENT. IS

THAT

WHY WAS WE'VE AGREED TO INTENSIFY OUR CONTACTS WITH PEKING AND RAISE THE LEVEL AT WHICH THEY ARE REGULARLY CONDUCTED. THAT WAS WHY GOING TO PEKING WAS NECESSARY AND WORTHWHILE.

A WEEK AGO I LEFT THE WORLD'S LARGEST FREE ENTERPRISE ECONOMY. TODAY,

I SHALL BE LEAVING A SOMEWHAT SMALLER BUT EQUALLY ENTERPRISING MARKET ECONOMY. IN BETWEEN I VISITED MOSCOW AND PEKING. ONE COUNTRY IS EXPLORING THE PATH OF POLITICAL REFORM, THE OTHER IS CONCENTRATING ON ECONOMIC REFORM. THE FACT IS THAT BOTH ARE NECESSARY AND I THAT

IT IS FITTING ONE CAN DEVELOP FULLY WITHOUT THE OTHER. SHOULD END THIS EVENTFUL WEEK HERE IN HONG KONG WHERE YOUR ECONOMY BOOMING AND WHERE YOU ARE ABOUT TO TAKE A FIRST MOMENTOUS STEP IN PROCESS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. I HAVE FOUND IT A MOST USEFUL AND WORTHWHILE VISIT AND AM DELIGHTED I WAS ABLE TO COME.

1'M NOW HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS FOR A PERIOD.

DOUBT

THAT

I

IS

THE

/0: YOU SAID