•
LORD DELSTEAD: IT'S A COMPLICATED QUESTION I'LL GIVE YOU A VERY SIMPLE ANSWER IN RETURN: WHAT WE WANT IS SOMETHING VERY MUCH LIKE A TABLE WHICH HAS GOT THREE LEGS, ONE LEG IS THE FUTURE TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE LEADERSHIP IN PEKING: THE SECOND LEG IS THAT THE FUTURE SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, AND THE THIRD LEG OF THE TABLE IS THAT THE FUTURE SHOULD BE WELCOMED NY AND ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. ALL THREE LEGS ARE IMPORTANT, BECAUSE IF ONE OF THOSE LEGS GIVES WAY
THE TABLE WILL GIVE WAY AS WELL
DENNY CHEUNG, CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY:
ONCE THE TALKS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND RED CHINA FAIL, DO YOU THINK THE PROBLEM WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER CRISIS AND SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE FALKLAND ISLANDS ?.
LORD BELSTEAD: THAT (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) IS A HYPOTHETICAL QUESTION AND WITH THE GREATEST OF COURTESY TO YOU SIR, ITS A QUESTION THEREFORE WHICH I'M AFRAID I WILL NOT ANSWER
PHILIP BOWRING:
CAN WE GO BACK TO THE TABLE WITH THREE LEGS ? WE KNOW FROM WHAT HAS BEEN COMING OUT OF PEKING OF WHAT PEKING WANTS OR SAYS IT WANTS: WE KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SAY WHAT THEY HAVE TOLD YOU ABOUT CONTINUITY, WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT AND WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THEM. CAN YOU NOW TELL US WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE PARLIAMENT OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE ?.
LORD BELSTEAD: NO, I CAN'T, BECAUSE TALKS ARE GOING ON THROUGH THE DIPLOMATIC CHANNEL AND THE NEGOTIATIONS......
PHILIP BOWRING:
(INTERJECTING)
WHAT IS THOUGHT SUFFICIENT TO WHAT IS ACCEPTABLE, WHAT SORT OF SOLUTION WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE UNITED KINGDOM PARLIAMENT ?.
LORD BELSTEAD: AND PARLIAMENT WILL DECIDE WHEN A REPORT HAS BEEN MADE TO PARLIAMENT
PHILIP BOWRING:
SO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL A PARLIAMENT HAS DECIDED AFTER THE EVENT WHETHER OR NOT ONE OF THOSE LEGS EXISTS AT ALL ?.
LORD BELSTEAD: I THINK THAT YOU'RE PUTTING THE WRONG CART BEHIND THE WRONG HORSE THERE'S NO DIFFICULUTY ABOUT THIS AT ALL, THERE ARE THREE LEGS TO THE TABLE, BUT IN ONE PARTICULAR CASE IT IS TRUE THE LEG DEPENDS UPON ACCEPTABILITY TO A PARLIAMENT IN A DEMOCRATIC COUNTRY, AND I'M PROUD THAT I BELONG TO A COUNTRY WHERE THE FINAL DECISION (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) IS TAKEN BY
१
PEOPLE
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.