TNAG-1231-FCO40-1544-Visit-by-Richard-Luce--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Com-1983 — Page 79

Q. BY TONY

ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL:

MINISTER, YOU SAY THAT YOU WOULDN'T BE DOING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE

A SERVICE IF DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATING POSITION WERE BROUGHT OUT

IN PUBLIC, BUT HOW MUCH OF A SERVICE ARE YOU DOING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BY MAKING NO MENTION, NO COMMENT, ON THE PROGRESS OF THE TALKS? YOU HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE THE LAST ROUND OF TALKS ENDED, THE HONG KONG DOLLAR FELL HITS LARGEST INCREMENT ON SATURDAY, PEOPLE

SWAMPED THE STORES STOCKING UP IN CASE OF IMMINENT PRICE RISES AND

CIVIL DISTURBANCES. THE GOVERNMENT YESTERDAY HAD TO BUY A BANK

TO AVOID A WHOLESALE RUN ON THE BANKING SYSTEM. THIS ALL FOLLOWED

THE END OF THE TALKS ON FRIDAY BECAUSE THERE WAS NO STATEMENT.

HOWE MUCH OF A SERVICE IS BRITAIN DOING HONG KONG IN MAKING NO

REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE

A: # MUST SAY, IF MAY SAY SO, I KNOW

YOU ALL HAVE A PROFESSION FOLLOW BUT YOU JOURNALISTS DO SOME-

TIMES LIKE DRAMATUSING THINGS MY GOSH YOU SURE DO. THE BANK

AFFAIR WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY, OF COURSE, HAS NOTHING WHATSO- EVER

TO DO WITH THE BROAD CONFIDENCE FACTOR

MAY SAY THIS: R'M SURE THAT THE

<

NOTHING WHATSOEVER

-

HAVE TO

THINK

HAN HONG KONG. I THINK OF

JOURNALISTS WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE HAVE A GREAT SENSE OF SERVICE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND MN YOUR OWN WAY, JUST AS

TAKE A LEAD IN CERTAIN FIELDS SO JOURNALISTS HAVE TO AND

YOU CAN HELP BY NOT SEEKING TO DRAMATISE THE SITUATION IN THE WAY THAT PERHAPS YOU DIDN'T MEAN BUT SOUNDED LIKE IT, BY LINKING A HELL OF A LOT OF THINGS TOGETHER. REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR SIGHTS ON THE LONG TERM, WE HAVE TO KEEP COOL, WE HAVE TO KEEP CALM. WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE ANXIETIES THAT THERE

WILL BE BUFFETING AND THAT THUS WILL HAPPEN AND IF WE DO THAT THINK THAT WE WILL DO THE BEST SERVICE TO OUR PEOPLE. HF WE FEEL AND AGAIN I MUST SAY FRANKLY TO YOU YOU'RE A JOURNALIST IR'M ́A

POLISTIC HAN, YOU KNOW THAT POLITICIANS LIKE TO COMMUNICATE IF WE FEEL WE CAN SAY SOMETHING THAT'S USEFUL AND HELPFUL, AND INDEED SAR PERCY CRADDOCK STRESSED THAT THE TALKS LAST WEEK WERE USEFUL, WE WILL SAY SO, AND WE WILL TAKE WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE CAN TO INFORM THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING. BUT HAVE JUST IN MY OPENING STATEMENT MENTIONED TO YOU ONE POINT WHHCH • THINK YOU MAY WISH TO NOTE AGAIN THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THE UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS WILL BE BACK FOR DISCUSSIONS «N LONDON NEXT WEEK.

Q. BY RICHARD BREEZE AFP, HONG KONG: MINISTER, YOU HAVE MENTIONED THE BASIC STRAND OF OPINION WHICH YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED DURING YOUR WISHT HERE WHICH TALKED ABOUT THE FREEDOM

THAT EXISTS IN HONG KONG. IN THE PAST WE'VE HEARD AN AWFUL LOT ABOUT BRITAIN AND CHINA WORKING TOGETHER TO PRESERVE THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO STATE THAT BRETAN ALSO REMAINS COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE BASIC RIGHTS TO FREEDOM AS THEY EXIST HỂN HONG KONG?

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