TNAG-1304-FCO40-1660-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 24

THEN IT IS AN AGREEMENT THAT HAS THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE

OF BEING UPHELD AND THE INTERESTS, AS I'VE SAID IN MY STATEMENT, WHICH ARE FOREMOST IN OUR MINDS THROUGHOUT ALL THESE NEGOTIATIONS, ARE THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

QUESTION 17. SIR GEOFFREY, JOHN RODGERS OF REUTERS.

OF THE REMAINING ISSUES THAT ARE STILL TO BE RESOLVED IN THE FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS, WHAT ARE THE MOST DIFFICULT FROM BRITAIN'S POINT OF VIEW?

ANSWER. I WOULN'T LIKE TO IDENTIFY IN ADVANCE WHAT QUESTION OR

QUESTIONS ARE OR MAY BE THE MOST DIFFICULT. I'VE GIVEN YOU IN MY

STATEMENT AN EXAMPLE OF THREE MATTERS THAT ARE CLEARLY MOST

IMPORTANT LAND, CIVIL AVIATION AND NATIONALITY, BUT IF IT WAS POSSIBLE IN ANY NEGOTIATIONS TO PREDICT IN ADVANCE WHICH WAS

GOING TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT, THEY WOULD BE LESS DIFFICULT THAN THEY ARE.

QUESTION 18. DINAH LEE, ASIAN WALL STREET JOURNAL:

WILL PEKING RESERVE THE RIGHT TO APPROVE OR VETO LAWS, NEW LAWS MADE IN HONG KONG? YUC SAY THAT THE POWER TO MAKE LAWS WILL CONTINUE TO LIE WITH THE LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES OF HONG

KONG, BUT IT'S NOT CLEAR WHETHER PEKING WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THE

FINAL SAY.

ANSWER. NO, BUT THAT'S THE POINT OF THE WORK THAT IS BEING DONE IN ORDER TO SECURE A CONCLUDED AGREEMENT, AND OF THE WORK THAT I'VE DESCRIBED. I'VE DESCRIBED THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN AGREED, WHICH WILL LEAVE LEGISLATIVE POWER, IN THE FIELDS WE'VE DISCUSSED EARLIER ON, UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITIES. JUST AS, IF I MAY SAY SO, IN THE UNITED STATES, CERTAIN POWERS ARE ASSIGNED TO THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES AND CERTAIN TO THE STATE AUTHORITIES: IT IS THAT KIND OF ARRANGEMENT,

AND WHAT IS BEING ESTABLISHED IS HONG KONG AS A SPECIAL

ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WITH POWERS AS DEFINED IN MY STATEMENT,

WHICH PLEASE STUDY AGAIN.

QUESTION 19. SIMON FUNG, RADIO TELEVISION HONG KONG.

SIR GEOFFREY, YOU HAVE JUST TOLD US NATIONALITY IS STILL AN ISSUE REMAINING TO BE RESOLVED, BUT TIME AND AGAIN THE CHINESE LEADERS HAVE TOLD US THEY WILL TOLERATE HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVING DUAL NATIONALITY AFTER 1997. DOES IT MEAN THEN IT IS BECAUSE

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REFUSED TO GIVE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE BRITISH

STATUS THAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM TO REMAIN OUTSTANDING?

ANSWER. I THINK IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT FOR ME TO EMBARK HERE ON

A DISCUSSION OF THE PRECISE NATURE OF THAT ISSUE, SINCE IT

IS STILL THE SUBJECT OF FURTHER NEGOTIATOION,

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| QUESTION 20