TNAG-1157-FCO40-1437-Visits-by-FCO-Ministers-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 30

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(MALE VOICE)

THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

HAVE REPEATEDLY DECLARED THAT THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE KEPT UNRESTRICTED AND THE CONDITIONS

THAT THE CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE STATED ON THIS SUBJECT, SO IN SO

DOING DOES THAT AFFECT THE TALKS, AND ALSO DO YOU CONTEMPLATE

THAT THE JOINT STATEMENT WHICH ISSUED AFTER MRS THATCHER'S VISIT

TO PEKING ?.

MR. ROBERTS: COULD YOU IDENTIFY YOURSELF, PLEASE?

HONG KONG DAILY NEWS.

LORD BELSTEAD: I'M SORRY, I DON'T THING THAT ANYTHING HEARD SINCE

THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT HAS IN ANY WAY CONTRADICTED THE JOING

STATEMENT WHICH WAS MADE AT THE END OF HER VISIT TO PEKING

HONG KONG DAILY NEWS:

BUT MY QUESTION IS THIS: SINCE BOTH THE

GOVERNMENTS HAVE DECLARED THAT THE TALKS SHOULD BE KEPT

CONFIDENTIAL, AND RECENTLY THE CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE SAID

FREQUENTLY ON THIS SUBJECT, AND SO IF SUCH THINGS IN SO DOING

WILL THAT AFFECT THE TALKS?

LORD BELSTEAD: 1 TAKE YOUR POINT. DON'T I REPEAT, WHICH I SAID

AT THE BEGINNING IN THE STATEMENT I MADE, I DO HOPE THE PEOPLE

WON'T BE PREJUDICED BY WHAT THEY HEAR SAID OUTSIDE THE ACTUAL

NEGOTIATIONS.

M.L. NG, RTHK:

SIR, IN GENERAL DO YOU FEEL THERE IS A NEED TO OPEN UP MORE CHANNELS TO REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION ON THE FUTURE OF

HONG KONG?

LORD BELSTEAD: NO, AS I SAY, I NOW REALISE AT THE END OF FIVE DAYS, THE NETWORK OF LINES OF COMMUNICATION HERE IN HONG KONG. I HAVE ENDEAVOURED TO MAKE USE OF THAT NETWORK AS A REPRESENTATIVE

OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND OF COURSE, SIR PERCY CRADOCK

HAS BEEN HERE AT THE SAME TIME: I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT WE WERE

HEARING LOUD AND CLEAR WHAT IT IS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WISH

TO SAY.

KATHLEEN WONG, RTHK:

WE HAVE HEARD REPORTS SUGGESTING THAT HONG

KONG WILL BECOME A 'SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE ZONE' TO BE ADMINISTERED BY ITS OWN PEOPLE: DO YOU REGARD THIS PROPOSAL ACCEPTABLE TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG

KONG?

LORD BELSTEAD: WELL, FORGIVE ME SAYING SO, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE OF COURSE, IT'S WHAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT AND WONDERING ABOUT, BUT IT FALLS PRECISELY INTO THE SLOT OF ME ASKING PEOPLE NOT TO BE PREJUDICED BY WHAT IS SAID OUTSIDE THE TALKS. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS COME FROM OUT OF THE TALKS.

3

ATHLEEN

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