XN000022-1994-09-16 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1994

SECRETARY:

FOREIGN

IT WAS NOT AN OPERATIONAL MEETING. IT WAS A MEETING WHICH I INITIATED BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO ME A USEFUL OCCASION SIMPLY TO EMPHASISE DIRECT FROM LONDON THE IMPORTANCE WHICH WE ATTACH TO THE WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. JOINT LIAISON GROUP WORK IS NOT A LUXURY, IT'S NOT AN ADD-ON, IT'S NOT AN OPTION. IT'S ESSENTIAL. IF HONG KONG IS TO PROCEED UNDER THE CHINESE FLAG FULLY EQUIPPED WITH THE LEGAL AND OTHER INSTRUMENTS NECESSARY FOR SUCCESS, IF HONG KONG IS NOT FULLY EQUIPPED AS IT MOVES INTO ITS NEW STATUS, THEN ITS PROSPECTS OF SUCCESS WILL TO SOME EXTENT BE FRAYED AT THE EDGES. 90 THAT IS A SHARED INTEREST. I WANTED TO IMPART THAT TO AMBASSADOR GOU. WE DID NOT DISCUSS PARTICULAR ITEMS. HE EXPRESSED THE VIEW, HE SHARED THE VIEW THAT THE JLG SHOULD NOT ONLY CONTINUE BUT SHOULD INTENSIFY WORK.

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QUESTION (SCMP): I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE WORK OF THE JLG. AT STAGE YOU SIMPLY HAVE NOT ENOUGH TIME TO COMPLETE ALL THE OUTSTANDING PROGRAMMES BEFORE 1997, THAT YOU NEED TO INTRODUCE SOME MEASURES UNILATERALLY TO IMPLEMENT THOSE NECESSARY FOR THE CHANGE-OVER?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: NO, WE'VE NOT YET REACHED THAT STAGE AND I'VE DISCUSSED THIS POINT WITH THE GOVERNOR SO I KNOW HIS VIEW.

NO, WE'VE NOT REACHED THAT STAGE. WE NEED TO BE IMAGINATIVE IN THE WORK OF THE JLG IF PRESENT PROCEDURES NEED ADAPTATION. IF WORK CAN BE DONE IN A DIFFERENT WAY IN ORDER TO ACCELERATE IT, IN ORDER THAT PURELY TECHNICAL MATTERS CAN BE DEALT WITH WITHOUT A POLITICAL OVERTONE, WELL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE TWO SIDES CAN DISCUSS. WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF BEING IMAGINATIVE IN THIS FIELD. BUT WE DO NEED THE JLG BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY INFORMALITY IS NOT ENOUGH. WE ARE TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL AGREEMENTS AND PROCEDURES WHICH HONG KONG WILL NEED. IT WILL NEED TO BE PUBLIC. THE COURTS WILL NEED TO INTERPRET, AS SERVICES AGREEMENT, LOCALISATION OF LAWS, THESE THINGS NEED TO BE OUT THERE IN THE OPEN, DEFINED, AND THAT IS DONE, THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE JLG AND IT REMAINS ESSENTIAL.

QUESTION (ASIA BUSINESS NEWS): MARTIN LEE SAID THIS MORNING THAT THE TIME WILL SOON COME WHEN ESSENTIALLY BRITAIN WILL HAVE TO REALISE THAT THE SITUATION IS HOPELESS REGARDING GETTING AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA AND BASICALLY REACH ITS OWN AGREEMENTS AND CARRY ON AND DO WHATEVER'S NECESSARY. WHAT'S YOUR REPLY TO MARTIN LEE?

FOREIGN SECRETARY: WELL, I DON'T THINK THE RECORDS SHOW THAT. THESE THINGS TAKE LONG, THEY TAKE LONGER THAN YOU'D EXPECT. YOU RUN INTO DIFFICULTIES, YOU PERSEVERE. THINK OF DEFENCE LANDS. ANYONE SITTING DOWN FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO AND SAYING "WELL, WHICH IS THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUE?" MIGHT WELL HAVE DECIDED THAT DEFENCE LANDS WOULD BE THE MOST DIFFICULT, AND YET IT'S BEEN SOLVED. SO I DON'T. I UNDERSTAND MARTIN LEE'S SENSE OF FRUSTRATION BUT HE'S WRONG TO DESPAIR BECAUSE THE BEST WAY IS THROUGH CO-OPERATION AND AGREEMENT.

QUESTION (DAILY TELEGRAPH): 1 NOTE THAT YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD COME HERE TO ENCOURAGE CO-OPERATION. I'M AFRAID THAT ONE OR TWO OF US WHO HAVE FOLLOWED THESE EVENTS RATHER CLOSELY OVER RECENT YEARS WILL REMEMBER THE MESSAGE IN THAT VEIN THAT YOU TOOK TO PEKING IN APRIL 1991 ON THE AIRPORT. AND LAST YEAR AT PEKING ON THE MATTER OF NEGOTIATIONS FOR POLITICAL ARRANGEMENTS HERE AND WE HAVE NOT PROCEEDED VERY FAR IN EITHER AREA. SO, IS IT NOT THE CASE THAT BRITISH POLICY TOWARDS HONG KONG IS AN UNACCEPTABLE ONE, WITH A VIEW TO A SMOOTH TRANSITION AT THE MOMENT, AND ONE INDEED THAT'S NOT IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST OF BRITAIN WITH REGARD TO COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN THE UK? IS IT NOT IN OTHER WORDS, TIME TO CHANGE TACK?

/FOREIGN SECRETARY: