TNAG-1253-FCO40-1586-Third-countries-and-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 100

AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION

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TALKING TO THE AUSTRALIAN JOURNALISTS NOW, THAT I AM THOROUGHLY CONVINCED THAT OUR FUTURE IS IN THIS REGION AND WE HAVE GOT TO ADDRESS OURSELVES TO THE PROBLEMS IN THIS REGION MUCH MORE ATTENTIVELY AND IN DETAIL THAN WE HAVE IN THE PAST AND ACCORDINGLY I THINK THIS IS FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THAT CLAIM. SO HAVE YOU GOT ANY QUESTIONS?

QUESTION: WHO DID YOU SPEAK TO HERE IN HONG KONG?

MR HAYDEN: I SPOKE TO A FEW PEOPLE BUT I WILL TELL YOU A COUPLE OF THEM ONLY, I WILL TELL YOU TWO ONLY. MR TUNG, CHAIRMAN AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, OVERSEAS HOLDING LIMITED: SIR PHILIP HADDON- CAVE, THE ACTING GOVERNOR AND SEVERAL CF HIS COLLEAGUES, WHOSE NAMES I CAN GIVE YOU CORRECTLY AFTER I CHECK WITH OUT HIGH COMMISSIONER. I WILL BE TALKING WITH MORE TOMORROW. TOMORROW, I AM TEMPTED TO SAY THE RESPECTABILITY OF MY CONTACTS MAY NOT BE ABOVE APPROACH, THEY ARE GOING TO BE LARGELY JOURNALISTS. I WANT TO GET A PICTURE FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE FAIRLY BROAD CONTACT AND WHO ARE USED TO MAKING AN ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT OF A SITUATION.

QUESTION: DC YOU SEE ONE OF THE MAIN PROBLEMS FOR AUSTRALIA (IF THIS IS HANDLED BADLY) AS BEING THE MASSIVE REFUGEE OUTFLOW FROM HONG KONG?

MR HAYDEN: I AM ONLY PREPARED TO SAY WHAT I SAID THAT THE EVIDENCE IS THAT BOTH SIDES ARE KEEN TO SEE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND THE EVIDENCE AT THIS POINT IS THAT THAT WILL BE ACHIEVED. THE MODALITIES HAVE TO BE WORKED OUT AND NO DOUBT THERE WILL BE SOME HAGGLING ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THOS MODALITIES. AT THIS POINT ANYWAY BOTH SIDES ARE KEEN TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RESULT. I SEE NO REASON THEREFORE WHY THEY SHOULDNT BE SUCCESSFUL. CONSEQUENTLY, I DONT THINK IT APPROPRIATE TO REFLECT ON THE PROPOSITION YOU ARE PUTTING FORWARD. THAT WOULD JUST ADD TO UNCERTAINTY I DONT THINK UNCERTAINTY IS JUSTIFIED CERTAINLY NOT ON THIS POINT.

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QUESTION: (DO YOU HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING WHETHER THE ISSUE OF SOVEREIGNTY BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA HAS PECOME MORE FLEXIBLE OVER RECENT WEEKS?

MR HAYDEN: I THINK THE PROBLEM ABOUT THE FUTURE ISNT SO MUCH OVER SOVEREIGNTY BUT OVER AUTHORITY AND ADMINISTRATION OR THE QUESTIONS WILL BE, BUT I REALLY THINK THEY ARE MATTERS THAT THE BRITISH AUTHORITIES WOULD BE BETTER QUALIFIED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT AND IF YOU ARE WITH ME IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS TIME WHEN WE GO INTO CHINA THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES RECAUSE WHEN I CO THERE I WILL CERTAINLY BE RAISING KAMPUCHEA AS ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES OF CONCERN APART FROM OUR BILATERAL RELATIONSHIPS BUT I WILL ALSO BE RAISING THIS MATTER ONCE AGAIN.

QUESTION: ON KAMPUCHEA YOU WERE QUOTED AS SAYING IN BANGKOKG THAT THERE WAS EVIDENCE THAT PEKING WAS TOUGHENING ITS STAND ON KAMPUCHEA.

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