XN000022-1996-03-04 — Page 6

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Question (Stanley Ma, HK Metro News): I thought you were asking me.

Governor: Are you Francis Moriarty? Go ahead, carry on.

Question (Stanley Ma, HK. Metro News): There are many persons and organisations in Hong Kong who are currently promoting democratic movement of China. You have made promises to give minorities entry into UK after 1997, what about that honourable groups after 1997, because they have ample opportunities to be suppressed by the Chinese Government?

Prime Minister: Well I think if you look at the commitments we've got in the Basic Law and the Joint Declaration, I know people are concerned. I understand the concern that people will have over the changes that are to come. If I may say so, although we have had differences with China from time to time over the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law, they have in essence been differences of interpretation over what was meant by the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and I think it is wise to understand that it has been differences of interpretation not what both sides could clearly see was a breach of the Joint Declaration that had been the points at issue.

I understand the concerns that people fear about persecution. I have to say I think those fears are greatly overdone. Where we have seen a potential risk we have acted.

What I would say more generally on the subject is simply this, those sort of fears sometimes arise because people have the impression that after 1997, in some curious way, Hong Kong is going to be entirely on its own. But if there is an open city anywhere in the world upon whom the eyes of the world are constantly fixed, if there is a more open city than Hong Kong, I cannot myself imagine where that city might be. This is the gateway to the whole of Asia. The trade, commercial gateway for the whole of Asia. It is very much in the interests of Hong Kong that it remains that way but more relevantly from the point of view of your question, it is very much in the interests of China that it remains that way and I think people often imagine that the sheer impact of the world looking at Hong Kong and the sheer impact of the nature of Hong Kong is not going to have any effect upon the future after the end of June, 1997. I do not myself believe that and I think the fears that you raise are unfounded.

Governor: The real Francis Moriarty.

Prime Minister: Are you sure? Can you guarantee that?

Governor: We'll find out from the question I'll tell you.