TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 129

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8. ON 22 SEPTEMBER WHEN NEGOTIATONS RESTARTED THERE SHOULD BE NO FURTHER FUSS OVER SOVEREIGNTY OR THE RIGHT OF ADMINISTRATION. WE SHOULD DISCUSS WHAT WE SHOULD DO IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997, THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TRANSITIONAL PERIOD AND THE GRADUAL INCLUSION IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE.

9. MR HEATH SAID THAT THESE WERE PRACTICAL POINTS. HE THOUGHT THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE DID UNDERSTAND THEIR SET UP VERY WELL, WHICH WAS WHY THEY WERE SO SUCCESSFUL. IF HE UNDERSTOOD MR DENG'S POLICIES CORRECTLY HE WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE SAME DYNAMISM IN CHINA. WE HAD TO RECOGNISE THAT THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENTY POLITICAL SYSTEMS IN CHINA AND HONG KONG: IN THE LAST 15 YEARS THEY HAD WORKED WELL TOGETHER, BECAUSE BOTH COUNTRIES HAD BEEN PRACTICAL RATHER THAN LOGICAL. IN RELATION TO TAIWAN DID THE CHINESE HAVE HT IN MIND THAT THE 9 POINTS SHOULD BE SET OUT #IN SOME KIND OF DECLARATION, PERHAPS PASSED BY THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE? MR DENG REPLIED THAT THE 9 POINTS WERE INTENDED TO SERVE AS A BASIS FOR NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE KMT ON A THIRD PERIOD OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THEM AND THE COMMUNIST PARTY. MR HEATH ASKED WHETHER THERE WOULD BE A BINDING AGREEMENT AT THE END OF SUCH NEGOTIATIONS. MR DENG REPLIED THAT THERE WOULD. MR HEATH SAID THAT PRACTICAL PROBLEMS WERE VERY IMPORTANT: HE NO LONGER HAD POWER AND RESPONSIBILITY, BUT HE DID NOT WANT CHINA TO SAY IN 1997 THAT HONG KONG HAD DETERIORATED AND WAS NO LONGER ANY GOOD. HE WANTED IT TO REMAIN AN IMPORTANT AND INFLUENTIAL CENTRE IN EAST ASIA, WHICH HE BELIEVED WAS LIKELY TO BE THE MOST DYNAMIC AND IMPORTANT REGION OF THE WORLD IN THE NEXT PERIOD

OF HISTORY.

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10. MR DENG SAID THAT BOTH SIDES SHOULD SETTLE THE HONG KONG PROBLEM SMOOTHLY. FRANKLY, CHINA KNEW THAT THE QUESTION COULD NOT BE SETTLED JUST TO ONE SIDE'S SATISFACTION: FOR THE REASON CHINESE POLICIES HAD BEEN WORKED OUT (AS FOR TAIWAN) THROUGH CAREFUL CONSIDERATION. THESE WERE NOT JUST EMPTY WORDS. CHINA HAD LAID ALL HER CARDS ON THE TABLE.

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