1
GRS 5500
UNCLASSIFIED
DESKBY 101530Z
FM HONG KONG 101345Z DECEMBER 82
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1456 OF 10 DECEMBER
TOP COPY
Тоб
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING PRIORITY BANGKOK HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
LONDON
107
MY TELNO 1451
FOR NEWS DEPARTMENT
FROM ROBERTS
HKI 0281
3
KJM Givin
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION IN
LORD BELSTEAD'S PRESS CONFERENCE.
LORD BELSTEAD: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT'S THE OPENING STATMENT THAT I FELT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE COVERING I HOPE, THE MAIN ASPECTS OF MY VISIT AND NOW I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER ANY OF YOUR OBSERVATIONS OR QUESTIONS.
ROBERT COTTRELL: FINANCIAL TIMES:
SIR, WE LEARNED FROM THE GOVERNOR, SIR EDWARD YOUDE, AT THE BEGINNING OF OCTOBER THAT TALKS HAD BEGUN. WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN THOSE TALKS SINCE THEN ?.
LORD BELSTEAD: THE TALKS, AS I MADE CLEAR IN MY OPENING STATEMENT, ARE BEING CARRIED ON THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AND THEY THEREFORE ARE CONFIDENTIAL. I'M SORRY TO BE UNHELPFUL, BUT I'M AFRAID THAT'S THE ANSWER THAT I HAVE TO GIVE.
ROBERT COTTRELL: WELL SIR, YOU SAID THEIR CONTENTS HAD TO DE CONFIDENTIAL, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THEIR FORM 7.
LORD BELSTEAD: NO, I CAN'T
HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL:
WE ARE TOLD A NUMBER OF TIMES BY 20TH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND ALSO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THAT THE WILL AND INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE GOING TO
BE REPRESENTED IN PEKING, AND IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATION OVER THE FUTURE OF US, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE BEST WAY OF ASSURING THAT THE BRITISH DELEGATES DO THE JOB PROPERLY IN PEKING IS NOT BY JUST RESTATING WISHFULLY THEIR PROMISE, BUT BY, I SUGGEST, GETTING UP AND TALKING ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN, AND WHAT IS AND WHAT WILL BE HAPPENING AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE SO THAT WE CAN JUDGE IT FOR OURSELVES, WHETHER THE BRITISH DELEGATES DO THE JOB PROPERLY. SO WITH THESE REMARKS IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY IS THE PROPOSAL THAT HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD BY BRITISH OFFICIALS IN PEKING ?.
| LORD
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