TNAG-1299-FCO40-1655-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 124

A.

THE FACT IS THAT THE CONCEPT OF A SELL OUT, THE IDEA OF

A SELL OUT, IS QUITE UNTRUE, IT IS NOT AN OBJECTIVE WE

HAVE IN MIND, OR COULD POSSIBLY HAVE IN MIND. OUR COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG IS TO DO OUR UTMOST TO SECURE THROUGH THESE NEGOTIATIONS THE FOUNDATIONS THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED

AND THERE IS NO QUESTION OF HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT COMMENDING TO OUR PARIAMENT OR TO HONG KONG, AN AGREEMENT THAT WOULD NOT CFFER PROSPECTS, ASSURED PROSPECTS, OF PRESERVING THAT WAY OF LIFE.

Q16. THERESA MA, FAR EASTERN ECONOMIC REVIEW

A.

WOULD YOU PLEASE TELL WHY THE TERMS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AS OPPOSED TO DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS BEEN CALLED FOR BY VARIOUS CROUPS IN HONG KONG?

THE DEVELOPMENT OF INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG, IS OF COURSE, CURRENTLY DIRECTLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. STEPS HAVE RECENTLY BEEN TAKEN IN THAT DIRECTION. FURTHER PROGRESS IN THAT DIRECTION IS, AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT, CLEARLY IN MIND, AND PROGRESS OF THAT KIND WHICH MAY TAKE DIFFERENT FORMS IS NOT FOR THE U.K. GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE, IS SOMETHING WHICH THE U.K. GOVERNMENT WOULD CERTAINLY COMMEND BUT IT WILL BE FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE PRECISELY THE TIME SCALE AND WAY IN WHICH PROGRESS TOWARDS INCREASINGLY REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

WILL BE MADE.

Q17. MARK BAKER, THE MELBOURNE AGE

A.

SIR GEOFFREY, DO YOU ACCEPT CHINA'S STATED DEADLINE OF SEPTEMBER, AND DO YOU REGARD THAT AS BEING A REALISTIC TIME FRAME FOR AN AGREEMENT.

WELL, AS I SAID IN THE STATEMENT, WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF CHINESE WISHES ON THE ONE HAND AND ALL OF CUR OWN REQUIREMENTS ON THE OTHER HAND. BEYOND THAT, AS I SAID IN ANSWER TO AN EARLIER QUESTION, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CLEARLY IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG FOR US TO REACH A GOOD AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THERE IS A MANIFEST INTEREST IN CONCLUDING THE NEGOTIATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR CONFIDENCE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE BUT THE PROGRAMME TO WHICH WE ARE WORKING TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL CUR OWN REQUIREMENTS.

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