TNAG-1310-FCO40-1667-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 107

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A.

WELL, WE ARE STILL CONSIDERING WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS IN THE FINAL STAGE AFTER THE AGREEMENT IS PRESENTED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, INCLUDING OF COURSE HONG KONG, WHAT WILL BE THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF TAKING THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AT THAT STAGE. EMPHASISE, OF COURSE, AS I HAVE SAID ALREADY, THE IMPORTANCE IN THIS CONTEXT OF THE CONTINUING CONSULTATIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE, WELL AHEAD OF THE AGREEMENT, BECAUSE THE OBJECTIVE THAT WE MUST HAVE IN MIND IS TO KNOW THE ASPIRATIONS AND THE ANXIETIES AND THE DESIRES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG NOL. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I AM HERE NOW, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY MY MEETING WITH EXCO YESTERDAY, WHICH WAS NOT THE FIRST BUT THE FIFTH, IN ORDER THAT WE CAN TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS AND BEFORE WE COME TO THE AGREEMENT. THAT IS THE BASIS ON WHICH WE WILL THEN PRESENT THE AGREEMENT, BELIEVING BY THEN WE HAVE GOT OUT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE INDICATED THAT THEY WANT.

LUK HON TAK, WEN WEI PO,

BRITAIN 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 POSSIBLE 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 RUSH THE NEGOTIATIONS, THAT WOULD BE WRONG. IT MEANS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE GETTING THE RIGHT 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.

JILL HARTLEY - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST

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 MPORTANT THING THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT.

NTINUITY 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.

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