REPORTER: HAVE YOU ANYTHING SPECIFIC TO DISCUSS IN SOUTH KOREA 7.
LPS: WELL, NOT SPECIFICALLY, I MEAN THERE ARE A RANGE OF MATTERS WHICH I SHALL BE TALKING WITH THE SOUTH KOREAN AUTHORITIES
ABOUT BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN TO SOUTH KOREA AND I WANTED TO SEE IT AND I WANTED THEM TO SEE ME TOO, NO THERE IS NO SPECIFIC
MAJOR POINT THAT I'M GOING TO TRY AND SETTLE THERE, NO.
REPORTER: MR ATKINS, YOU HAVE GIVEN THE IMPRESSION THAT DEFINITE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE WITH THE CHINESE WITH REGARD TO THIS PROBLEM OF 1997. DID THEY EVER GIVE YOU ANY INDICATION THAT THEY FELT IT WAS A BRITISH LEGAL PROBLEM ?.
LPS: NO, BECAUSE WHAT I MADE CLEAR TO THEM WAS THAT, COME 1997, IF NOBODY DOES ANYTHING AT ALL THE GOVERNMENT'S POWERS OVER THE
NEW TERRITORIES CEASE, BECASE THAT'S WHAT THE ACTUAL ACT OF PARLIAMENT SAYS, THEY, AND SOMEBODY HAS GOT TO DO SOMETHING AND IT, IT ISN'T A MATTER OF UNCERTAINTY, IT IS A MATTER OF CERTAINTY THAT WOULD HAPPEN. AND I STRESS THAT THEY ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG NOT ONLY TO HONG KONG BUT THEMSELVES: THAT'S WHY I THINK THEY RECOGNISE THAT WE HAVE GOT TO DISCUSS TOGETHER HOW TO PROCEED AFTER 1997, AND I BELIVE THE MESSAGE HAS GOT THROUGH, THAT IT REQUIRES DOING AND IT REQUIRES DOING WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE TIME AND THEY, 1 HOPE, ARE GOING TO BEGIN DOING.
REPORTER: DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY INDICATION THAT THE INITIATIVE WOULD HAVE TO COME FROM THE BRITISH 7.
LPS: IT'S ALREADY COME, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED, AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN BEFORE TOO LONG.
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
HK & GD
NEWS D
PS/LPS
PS/PUS
MR DONALD
7
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