TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 120

G7.

A.

LUK HON TAK, WEN WEI PO,

ERITAIN ALWAYS STRESSED THERE IS NO TIME TABLE FOR

THE TALKS, BUT YOU AGREE THAT IT IS HELPFUL FOR KEEPING HONG KONG'S PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE IF AN AGREEMENT CAN

BE MADE AS SOON AS POSSIDLE AND DO YOU THINK THERE IS A POSSIBILITY TO HAVE A PRELIMINARY AGREEMENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER OF THIS YEAR?

AS I HAVE SAID, WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT BOTH OF CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL OF OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS, AND I BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS, IS ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE MENTIONED, NAMELY THE NEED TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO PUSH

IT MEANS VE THE NEGOTIATIONS, THAT WOULD BE WRONG.

HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING THE RICHT AGREEMENT, IT HAS GOT TO HAVE SUFFICIENT CONTENT, AND THE RIGHT CONTENT AND THAT ON THAT BASIS, I AM QUITE CERTAIN THAT IN ORDER TO REMOVE UNCERTAINTY TO ESTABLISH CONFIDENCE ON THE BEST BASIS, WE SHOULD STRIVE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE SENSIBLY CAN.

Q8. JILL HARTLEY SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

A.

-

A POINT OF CLARIFICATION, AT THE BOTTOM OF PAGE. FOUR OF YOUR STATEMENT YOU SAY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE IT CLEAR THEY INTEND ARRANGEMENTS TO LAST FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS FROM 1997, THEN YOU SAY WE ARE WORKING FOR AN AGREEMENT WHICH WILL ENSHRINE THAT PRINCIPLE. DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU ARE LOOKING, FOR A 50 YEAR AGREEMENT?

INDEED THE PRINCIPLE OF CONTINUITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT. CONTINUITY IS THE NECESSARY FOUNDATION OF CONFIDENCE AND I REFER THERE TO THE CHINESE PUBLIC INDICATION OF THE PROSPECT OF 50 YEARS CONTINUATION

OF PRESENT SYSTEMS AND SO ON, FROM 1997. CLEARLY,

THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD WANT TO SEE EMBODIED IN ANY INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT.

29. NICK GOWING - ITN LONDON

IS THERE ANY DOUBT IN YOUR MIND, FOREIGN SECRETARY, THAT WHAT YOU NEGOTIATE IN THE COMING MONTHS WILL SIMPLY BE IRRELEVANT TO WHATEVER THE POLITICAL SITUATION MIGHT ZE, BOTH IN BRITAIN AND CHINA 13 YEARS FROM NOW.

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