TNAG-1310-FCO40-1667-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 114

025. KEVIN TOOLIS, IRISH NEWS

A.)

for

fict

HOW MUCH CONTROL WILL CHINA HAVE OF HONG KONG'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN THE FUTURE, HOW WILL IT AFFECT HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER COUNTRIES?

RELL, THE TWO PARTS IN YOUR QUESTION ARE OF COURSE DISTINCT AND IMPORTANTLY DISTINCT. BECAUSE PLAINLY, THE SOVEREIGN COUNTRY DOES HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FOREIGN AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS TH THE BROADEST SENSE. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF THE HIGH DEGREE OF -AUTONOMY THAT WE ARE SEEKING, IS AUTONOMY IN RELATION TO THE MANAGEMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, SUCH AS THE ONES WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION IN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC ORGANISATIONS, LIKE GATT, LIKE THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK AND SO ON, AND MANAGEMENT OF AN INDEPENDENT, CONVERTIBLE CURRENCY CONTINUING TO CIRCULATE FREELY THE HONG KONG DOLLAR.

#26. STEVEN JESSEL, BBC

Ret

IN ASSESSING THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WOULD YOU EXCLUDE THE POSSIBILITY OF A REFERENDUM?

WE HAVE NOT COME TO A CONCLUSION ABOUT THE BEST OF SEVERAL ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF ASSESSING THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND IT MUST BE STATED THERE ARE SOME VERY REAL DRAWBACKS TO THE IDEA OF A REFERENDUM.

027. IRENE SUNG, SING THO JIH PRO

A.

YOU HAVE MENTIONED IN YOUR SPEECH ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997 AS BEING IN THE HANDS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE THEMSELVES AND THERE WILL FOLLOW A PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT WHICH IS ALREADY UNDER WAY. UNDER THE DEVELOPMENT, WILL THERE BE A HONG KONG PERSON APPOINTED AS A VICE-GOVERNOR LEARNING HOW TO ADMINISTER THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG DURING THE NEXT FEW YEARS?

IT IS NOT FOR ME TO ANSWER SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF THAT KIND, AT THIS STAGE. I SEE SOME OF THE PAPERS TODAY SAY THAT I WAS EXPRESSING AN OPINION ABOUT THAT, IN FACT I WASN'T DOING THAT, ALTHOUGH ONE LADY I THINK EXPRESSED AN OPINION TO ME ABOUT THAT. OF COURSE I TAKE MOST OPINIONS OFFERED BY MOST LADIES. BUT IN ANSWER TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTION, IT WILL BE FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DETERMINE IN WHAT MAY THERE WILL BE FURTHER MOVEMENT TOWARDS MORE REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AND ON WHAT TIME SCALE.

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