polls that were taken yesterday; they were extremely interesting and I believe showed the views of the people of Hong Kong and their very vivid awareness of the problem as you would expect.
CHAN NAM, Wen Wei Po: Mrs. Thatcher, do you have the confidence that a common aim shared by both China and Britain of maintaining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability will be fulfilled?
P.M.
I believe that our differences can be reconciled and that we can reach an agreement which is satisfactory to China and the people of Hong Xong and Britain. It can be reconciled, and obviously that is our sole purpose in going into
the talks,
·
NICK BAILEY, British Forces Broadcasting: The fact that we have British Forces based here, including a brigade of Ghurkas, do you think that will provide a stumbling-block to negotiations and if so, are you willing to compromise for instance, in handing over the Forces' duties to a local militia or to the Police Foros, in 1997?
.P.M.
I don't think it's a stumbling-block
to the talks into which we're going to enter and I don't think we should try to conclude anything out of those. talks before we've even entered into them!
BRIAN JEFFRIES, Newsweek:
Is there any possibility of the people of Hong Kong being allowed to vote on their own future by a referendum, perhaps?
P.M.
All of these things I think again we will have to disques in talks, but there are many, many ways in which people's views, can be expressed and they do have elected councils through which. tuey can be expressed, and of course they can on Executive and Legislative Council, but we'll take advice on all of these things, but not reach a conclusion before we've taken advice and considered it.
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