TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 21

QUESTION 10: SALLY BLYTH, RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG: **YOU HAVE MADE IT QUITE CLEAR, SIR GEOFFREY, THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP: AND THAT YOU HAVE HAD SOME

ASSURANCE FROM CHINA. BUT HAVE YOU HAD ASSURANCES FROM THE CHINESE

SIDE THAT THEY WON'T INTERFERE IN THE AFFAIRS OF HONG KONG BEFORE

1997? AND THE FACT THAT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WILL BE BASED

HERE IN 1988 - DO YOU NOT FEEL THAT THIS WILL PSYCHOLOGICALLY

UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG

IN THE MINDS OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE AND PEOPLE ABROAD?!!

ANSWER:

''IT IS FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU HAVE IN MIND THAT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE GROUP DO CONTAIN THE PRECISE PROVISIONS I HAVE

SET OUT IN MY STATEMENT, AND THAT THEY HAVE BEEN UNDERWRITTEN BY THE PRECISE ASSURANCES THAT I WAS GIVEN VERY FIRMLY BY THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP. THAT MUST ALSO BE SEEN, OF COURSE, ALONGSIDE THE PLAIN AGREEMENT TO WHICH I REFERRED: THAT BRITISH ADMINISTRATION WILL CONTINUE UP TO 1997 - AND THAT PROPOSITION TOO HAS THE FIRM SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.''

QUESTION 11: WONG YING-WAH, ASIA TELEVISION HONG KONG: ''SIR GEOFFREY, ACCORDING TO YOUR DISCLOSURES SO FAR, THE WAY FOR YOU TO FULFIL BRITISH COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG PEOPLE IS BY SEEKING AN INTERNATIONAL BINDING AND DETAILED SINO-BRITISH AGREEMENT. WHAT IF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE YOU PROPOSE TO SET UP FINDS OUT THAT MOST

HONG KONG PEOPLE ARE AGAINST SOME CONTENTS IN THE AGREEMENT? COULD THE AGREEMENT - COULD THAT CONTENT BE AMENDED? AND, IF NOT, HOW COULD THE BRITISH SIDE FULFIL THEIR COMMITMENT?''

ANSWER:

-

''I THINK IT IS NECESSARY TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THIS IN ANY INTER- NATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS OF THIS OR COMPARABLE KIND, BOTH SIDES NEGOTIATE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE, WHICH HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. IF EITHER SIDE WERE TO SEEK TO RESERVE THE RIGHT, HAVING REACHED THE CONCLUSION OF THE NEGOTIATIONS, AS IT WERE TO START AGAIN, THEN THE OTHER SIDE WOULD, UNDERSTAND- ABLY, SEEK TO OBTAIN THE SAME RIGHT. AND THE AGREEMENT WOULD NOT BE

EVEN AN AGREEMENT THAT COULD BE INITIALLED. SO BOTH SIDES WORK TOWARDS THE CONCLUSION OF AN AGREEMENT AS A WHOLE AND IT THEN HAS TO BE CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE. IT IS BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT THAT WE HAVE BEEN TAKING SO MUCH CARE TO CONSULT WITH HONG KONG, WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, WITH EXCO, WITH MEMBERS OF LEGCO, IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE WANT: WHICH

IS AN AGREEMENT WHICH, WHEN CONSIDERED AS A WHOLE, CAN BE HONOURABLY COMMENDED TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. IT IS ON THAT BASIS THAT THE QUESTION WILL HAVE TO BE CONSID-

ERED - BUT IF I DECIDED TO TRY AND RESERVE THE RIGHT TO START AGAIN THEN IT WOULD BE A MOST INCONCLUSIVE ARRANGEMENT. SO THAT IS NOT THE WAY WE WORK.''

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| QUESTION 12