TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 22

QUESTION 12: MELINDA LIU, NEWSWEEK:

'YOUR STATEMENT MAKES NO MENTION OF RESPONSIBILITY AFTER 1997 FOR INTERNAL SECURITY OF DEFENCE. IN THE PAST THE CHINESE HAVE SAID

SOMETHING ABOUT INTERNAL SECURITY. DOES THIS MEAN THAT CHINA WILL

TAKE OVER INTERNAL SECURITY RESPONSIBILITY AND WHAT PROVISIONS WILL BE MADE FOR MEMBERS OF THE CURRENT HONG KONG POLICE FORCE WHO MAY

NOT WISH TO REMAIN HERE AFTER 1997?

ANSWER:

''WELL, ON THE FIRST QUESTION THAT YOU RAISED, THAT IS, OF COURSE AN IMPORTANT ASPECT ON WHICH IT IS PLAIN THAT DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL

AFFAIRS WOULD BECOME THE RESPONSIBILITY OF CHINA, BUT THAT THE

MATTERS THAT YOU HAVE DISCUSSED AFFECTING INTERNAL AFFAIRS IN HONG

KONG WOULD REMAIN THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HONG KONG SAR GOVERNMENT. AND, OBVIOUSLY, THE POINT YOU HAVE RAISED ABOUT THE POSITION OF THOSE SERVING, NOT JUST IN THE POLICE BUT IN OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES, IS AN IMPORTANT ONE WE HAVE VERY MUCH IN MIND.''

QUESTION 13: HUGH DAVIES, DAILY TELEGRAPH:

''SIR GEOFFREY, CHINA HAS BEEN THE SCENE OF CATACLYSMIC UPHEAVALS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. MR DENG XIOAPING, WHOM YOU MET YESTERDAY, WAS HIMSELF PURGED TWICE, HIS SON WAS REPUTEDLY HURLED

OUT OF A WINDOW BY RED GUARDS AT PEKING UNIVERSITY. WHAT SORT OF GUARANTEES HAVE YOU MANAGED TO SECURE TO ENSURE THAT HIS SUCCESSORS SIMPLY WON'T RIP UP THE AGREEMENT?''

ANSWER:

''I THINK ONE OF THE FEATURES WHICH IS MOST NOTEWORTHY ABOUT THE

POSITION OF CHINA AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS THE RESPECT WHICH

IT SHOWS FOR INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS. IT IS FOR THAT REASON THAT

WE ARE SEEKING TO ACHIEVE A BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT OF THE

KIND THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED AND HAVE MADE SUCH IMPORTANT PROGRESS TOWARDS. THAT AND THE PROSPECT OF INCREASING AND CONTINUED

PROSPERITY, BOTH IN CHINA ITSELF AND, ON THE FOOTING OF THIS

AGREEMENT, IN HONG KONG THOSE ARE THE BEST ASSURANCES FOR THE FUTURE IN THE CONTEXT OF A BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT.'

SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTION, HUGH DAVIES:

''HAVE YOU HAD ANY WRITTEN GUARANTEES ON THAT?''

ANSWER:

**HAVE YOU GOT ANY WRITTEN GUARANTEES ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ANY NATION IN THE WORLD THAT FACES THE PROSPECT OF TWO OR THREE ELECTIONS IN THE NEXT 15 YEARS? THERE IS A LIMIT TO THE GUARANTEES THAT ANY STATESMAN, OR ANY COMMENTATOR, CAN GIVE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF ANY KIND. BUT LIVING IN THE REAL WORD, CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES IN HONG KONG, THE BEST ASSURANCES WE CAN GET ARE THE ASSURANCES THAT WILL BE CONTAINED IN THE BINDING INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENT.''

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I QUESTION 14