XN000022-1993-12-02 — Page 9

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2,

1993

THOSE

GOVERNOR: THE SECRETARY OF STATE, DOUGLAS HURD, HAS WRITTEN IN

AND AFTER THE CABINET COMMITTEE MEETING TERMS TO HIS OPPOSITE NUMBER. THAT TOOK PLACE SHORTLY AFTER THE FIFTEENTH ROUND, THE PRIME MINISTER, WE COULD PERHAPS JOHN MAJOR,

MADE SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW

AND TACKLE THE OUTSTANDING OF DISCUSSIONS THE PACE INTENSIFY

I SHOULD ADD ONE ISSUES. WE HAVE PRESSED FOR THAT. CONTENTIOUS POINT; WE WERE QUITE OPTIMISTIC AFTER THE FIFTEENTH ROUND, JUST BEFORE THE CABINET COMMITTEE MEETING, THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO REACH

THE SIXTEENTH IN I

ΤΟ SAY THAT INTERIM AGREEMENT,

THAT OPTIMISM ALAS DRAINED AWAY ROUNDS, BECAUSE OF ANYTHING THAT WE DID.

SEVENTEENTH

AN

AND

HAVE

AND IT WASN'T

PRESIDENT, MR

FOR MORE WEEKS

ON THE 6TH REV FUNG C W (THROUGH INTERPRETATION):

HE SAID THAT ONLY OCTOBER THE GOVERNOR MADE HIS POLICY ADDRESS.

WHOLE PACKAGE. WEEKS WERE LEFT. AT THAT TIME HE MIGHT THINK OF THE NOW EIGHT WEEKS HAVE PASSED AND YOU ONLY HAVE A PARTIAL BILL, AND THE OTHER OUTSTANDING ISSUES THE BIGGER ISSUES HOW MANY WILL BE NEEDED? JUST NOW THE GOVERNOR GAVE A REPLY AND IT SEEMS THERE IS STILL A LONG TIME TO GO. WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN DAYS IN THE ABOUT THE WEEKS WHICH YOU MENTIONED THEY ARE ESPECIALLY LIKE THE ANCIENT CHINESE SAYING GOES, YOU HAVE SEVEN MOUNTAIN, BUT IN THE WORLD IT IS A THOUSAND YEARS ALREADY.

WEEK SO LONG, JUST DAYS ON THE

OF

THOSE AND

GOVERNOR: WE HAVE QUITE GOT A THOUSAND YEARS THOUGH I THINK SOME THOSE WHO HAVE TAKEN PART IN THE TALKS MAY THINK THAT A THOUSAND YEARS ARE VERY SERIOUS WOULD SEE US HOME. LET ME BE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT

I THINK THAT THIS ISSUES. I SAID, LET ME BE A LITTLE MORE HONEST, COUNCIL, THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, AND IF I MAY SAY SO PARTICULARLY WHO HAVE TO COVER OUR ENDEAVOURS FOR THE MEDIA BOTH IN HONG KONG INTERNATIONALLY HAVE GOT HEARTILY FED UP WITH THE CIRCUMLOCUTIONS THAT ORDER ΤΟ AVOID I'VE BEEN OBLIGED TO USE FOR THE LAST FEW WEEKS IN

AT THE BITHER MENTIONING DEADLINES OR MENTIONING OTHER DATES WHILE

WE COULDN'T SAME TIME GIVING AS CLEAR AN IMPRESSION AS I COULD THAT HANG ABOUT FOREVER. I DON'T INTEND EVER AGAIN SAYING TICK TOCK THE CLOCK, BUT IT HAS TICK TOCKED AND TIME HAS MOVED ON.

GOES

STILL

THE

THAT

I THINK THAT I MAY BE JUST INSIDE MONTHS, AND THEREFORE ABLE TO CLAIM THAT WEEKS WAS ACCURATE WHEN I SAID WHAT I DID ON 6TH OCTOBER, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY IN THIS COUNCIL HONESTLY HAS ANY DOUBT THAT WE DO HAVE TO GET A MOVE ON AND WE'VE THOUGHT THE BEST WAY OF STARTING THE PROCESS WITHOUT SCUPPERING THE PROSPECT SEPARATING OUT FOR FURTHER TALKS ON THE MORE DIFFICULT ISSUES IS BY

WE COULD THE ISSUES IN THE WAY THAT I HAVE SUGGESTED. I WISH THAT

AGREEMENT. WE LEGISLATE AT THIS TIME ON EVERYTHING ON THE BASIS OF

MORE HOPE THAT WE CAN HAVE AN EIGHTEENTH ROUND AND CONCEIVABLY SOME ROUNDS AFTERWARDS AND WE HOPE THAT EVEN THOSE SEVENTEEN ROUNDS HAVEN'T BROUGHT US TO THE PROMISED LAND THAT DURING SUBSEQUENT ROUNDS OF TALKS BRIDGE THE WHICH I REPEAT WE HOPE WILL TAKE PLACE, WE CAN ACTUALLY

THROUGH TRAIN, THE SUBSTANTIAL GAPS THAT EXIST ON ISSUES LIKE THE

CAN ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES. THOSE TALKS

A BIT LONGER TAKE PLACE FOR A BIT LONGER. THEY CAN TAKE PLACE FOR BECAUSE WE HAVE DECIDED TO LEGISLATE IN THE WAY WE HAVE. BUT WITHOUT I REPEAT SAYING TICK TOCK GOES THE CLOCK, TIME WILL PASS IN 1994 JUST AS IT HAS IN 1993 AND WE CAN'T PUT THAT OFF FOREVER.

/LET ME