HISTORICAL AND LEGAL REALITIES HAD TO BE FACED AND THAT IS WHY WE WENT INTO THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. ALSO EMPHASISED AT THAT PRESS CONFERENCE WAS THE FACT THAT THE POSITIONS OF BOTH SIDES WERE WELL-KNOWN AND THAT THE PURPOSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WAS TO RESOLVE OUR DIFFERENCES WITH THE COMMON AIM OF PRESERVING HONG KONG'S LONG-TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. THAT IS PRECISELY WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED.
"
IN THE EARLY PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WE LOOKED FOR WAYS WHICH MIGHT ALLOW FOR BRITISH ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE AFTER 1997 ON THE BASIS THAT BRITAIN WOULD RECOGNISE CHINA'S SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE WHOLE OF HONG KONG. THIS COURSE WOULD HAVE MEANT THE MINIMUM OF CHANGE AND THE HONG KONG PEOPLE CERTAINLY EXPECTED THAT WE WOULD, AS A FIRST STEP, SEE IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE. AND SO WE TRIED OVER 12 MONTHS' NEGOTIATION. IT BECAME APPARENT THAT A SOLUTION ALONG THESE LINES WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THAT IF WE HAD PERSISTED IN SEEKING IT THE TALKS WOULD HAVE 2ROKEN DOWN. THIS WOULD NOT HAVE ALTERED THE FACT THAT 92 PERCENT OF THE TERRITORY WOULD REVERT TO CHINA UNDER THE LEASE IN 1997. BUT IT WOULD THEN HAVE DONE SO WITHOUT ANY AGREEMENT ON ITS FUTURE. WE CONCLUDED THAT A BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS, WITH ALL THE UNCERTAINTIES THAT WOULD HAVE CREATED, COULD NOT IN THE LONG VIEW OFFER SATISFACTORY PROSPECTS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE FUTURE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF THE TERRITORY.
Q4. IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WROTE PERSONALLY TO DENG XIAOPING TO BREAK
THE DEADLOCK
A4. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE AND MUST REMAIN
CONFIDENTIAL. WHAT MATTERS IS THE RESULT, WHICH IS A GOOD ONE.
Q5. HAS THE AGREEMENT IN FACT ACHIEVED ANYTHING MORE THAN THE
CHINESE 12-POINT PLAN?
A5. YES. IF YOU LOOK AT THE AGREEMENT IN DETAIL YOU WILL SEE THAT
STARTING FROM THE BASIC CONCEPTS FOR THE CONTINUITY OF HONG KONG
THAT THE CHINESE SPELLED OUT, WE HAVE WORKED INTO THE AGREEMENT A MASS OF DETAIL PROVIDING FOR THE EXISTING LEGAL SYSTEM, THE EXXISTING LEGAL RIGHTS, THE EXISTING RIGHT TO RAISE A FAMILY
AS YOU CHOOSE, TO APPLY IN HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS
CONVENTIONS AND A WEALTH OF OTHER DETAIL.
TEST OF ACCEPTABILITY
06. WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED BY THE RESPONSE TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE?
IN RETROSPECT DO YOU THINK A REFERENDUM WOULD HAVE MORE
ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE VIEWS OF HK PEOPLE?
A6. PUBLIC RESPONSE WAS FAR HIGHER THAN IN ANY PREVIOUS CONSULTATION EXERCISE. MANY OF THE SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED BY THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE REPRESENTED THE COLLECTIVE VIEWS OF GROUPS AND ORGAN- ISATIONS COMPRISING VERY LARGE NUMBERS OF INDIVIDUALS. THOSE IN REPRESENTATIVE BODIES WHO DEBATED THE AGREEMENT WERE EXPRESSING THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF GRASS ROOTS OPINION. THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE CLEARLY STATED ITS VIEW THAT THE RESPONSE CAME FROM A WIDE CROSS SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY. IT REJECTED THE IDEA THAT THERE COULD BE A SILENT MAJORITY IN HONG KONG WHOSE VIEWS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN
EXPRESSED OR REFLECTED CONFIDENTIAL
/THERE
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