TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 119

Q5.

SO THAT WE SHALL REACH AN AGREEMENT, IF WE ARE

ABLE TO DO SO, THAT WE CAN CONFIDENTLY COMMEND

TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND TO PARLIAMENT. THAT MUST BE OUR OBJECTIVE. WE WANT TO REACH A CONCLUSION THAT WE CAN COMMEND AND THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND PARLIAMENT, WILL REGARD AS ACCEPTABLE.

TA KUNG PAO, LEE WAI HING

DURING YOUR VISIT IN BEIJING YOU HAD A CHANCE TO

TALK WITH CHINESE LEADERS INCLUDING THE CHAIRMAN

DENG, PREMIER ZHAO, WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR IMPRESSIONS

OF THOSE CHINESE LEADERS YOU HAVE MET, AND IN

WHAT WAY YOU FEEL THE CHINESE LEADERS ARE SINCEPE TO SOLVE THE 1997 ISSUE, WITH THE AIM OF MAINTAIN THE STABILITY

AND PROSPERITY FOR HONG KONG?

ACAIN, IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT FOR ME TO GIVE IMPRESSIONS

OF PERSONALITIES, ANY MORE THAN IT WOULD BE RIGHT

FOR ME TO GIVE IMPRESSIONS OR DESCRIPTIONS OF

THE SUBSTANCE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, BUT ALL MY

MEETINGS IN PEKING WERE VERY BUSINESS-LIKE, CONDUCTED

IN A FRIENDLY ATMOSPHERE DIRECTED TO TRYING TO SECURE AGREEMENT OF THE KIND WE BOTH WANT AND THE THING THAT IMPRESSED ME MOST WAS THE JOINT DETERMINATION TO TRY TO REACH THE RIGHT ANSWER TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT

QUESTION.

Q5.

A.

RADIO HONG KONG, NICK BEACROFT

IT IS A TWO SIDED QUESTION. ONE IS: HOW EXACTLY

ARE YOU GOING TO TEST THE OPINION OF HONG KONG PEOPLE? AND, IF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE REJECT YOUR AGREEMENT, WHAT WILL YOU DO THEN?

WELL, WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS IN THE FINAL STAGE AFTER THE AGREEMENT IS PRESENTED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING OF COURSE HONG KONG, WHAT WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF TAKING THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AT THAT STAGE. I EMPHASISE, OF COURSE, AS I HAVE SAID ALREADY, THE IMPORTANCE IN THIS CONTEXT OF THE CONTINUING CONSULTATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, WELL AHEAD OF THE AGREEMENT,

BECAUSE THE OBJECTIVE THAT WE MUST HAVE IN MIND IS TO KNOW THE ASPIRATIONS AND THE ANXIETIES AND THE DESIRES OF

THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MCL. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS

I AM HERE NOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MY MEETING WITH EXCO YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS NOT THE FIRST BUT THE FIFTH, IN ORDER THAT WE CAN TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS

AND BEFORE WE COME TO THE AGREEMENT. THAT IS THE

BASIS ON WHICH WE WILL THEN PRESENT THE AGREEMENT,

BELIEVING BY THEN WE HAVE GOT OUT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS

THAT WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE INDICATED THAT

THEY WANT.

3

167.