NISTER FOR STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HK, MR TIMOTHY RENTON, MADE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS AT A PRESS CONFERENCE THIS MORNING BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR SINGAPORE:
HAS HAD WORTHWILE MEETINGS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND GOVT OFFICIALS AND WITH MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO AND DISTRICT BOARDS. +I HAVE, I THINK, LEARNT A GOOD DEAL ABOUT WHAT THE PEOPLE OF HK THINK AND WANT. YESTERDAY WAS A HISTORIC DAY FOR LEGCO AND A MOST IMPORTANT DAY FOR THE PEOPLE OF HK+.
+IN BRITAIN WE FULLY UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR HK TO DEVELOP ITS OWN SYSTEM OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS OWN NEEDS AND CUSTOMS.+
+I HAVE MUCH SYMPATHY WITH THE WAY IN WHICH THE MARKET HAS DEVELOPED IN HK WITH THE EMPHASIS ON FREE TRADE AND ENTERPRISE WHILST AT THE SAME TIME THERE IS SUCH A LOT OF COMMUNITY CONSCIOUSNESS+.
ON REPRESENTATIVE GOVT HE BELIEVES IN THE +FABIAN+ APPROACH, STEP BY STEP WITH EACH STAGE BEING TESTED AGAINST THE EXPERIENCE AND WISHES OF THE PEOPLE.
IMMENSE ADMIRATION FOR THE WAY IN WHICH HK HAS SHOULDERED THE BURDEN IMPOSED BY THE VR PROBLEM. WAS GREATLY ENCOURAGED
BY THE DEDICATION AND CHEERFULNESS OF THE STAFF AND THE DETERMINATION OF SOME OF THE REFUGEES.
HAD SEEN SOMETHING OF THE MANY DEVELOPEMNTS UNDERWAY AND PLANNED IN HK. SPEED AND PACE OF DEVELOPMENTS IN THE NEW TOWNS FOR SOMEONE COMING FROM BRITAIN +IS QUITE BREATHTAKING.+
·
PLANNING FOR AND CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE NOT JUST FOR THE 12 YEARS AHEAD BUT FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME. ADMIRES AND SHARES THAT OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE.
MUCH UK GOVT CAN AND WILL BE DOING IN THE YEARS IMMEDIATELY AHEAD PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH HK. MENTIONED LEON BRITTON'S COMMENTS OVER UK/HK JOINT INTERESTS IN THE TEXTILE BILL WHICH WOULD CAUSE QUITE UNACCEPTABLE DAMAGE IF PASSED THROUGH CONGRESS.
MR RENTON THEN ANSWERED QUESTIONS :
ON THE ACCEPTABILITY BY THIRD COUNTRIES OF THE BN(0) PASSPORT, HE SAID UK HAS NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT THIS NEW BN (0) PASSPORT WILL BE WIDELY ACCEPTABLE. UK PROPOSES TO APPROACH OTHER COUNTRIES ONCE THE ISSUE IS FIRMLY IN PLACE, THE MOMENT WE KNOW › THE PRECISE FORMAT. ENCOURAGED BY VICE PRESIDENT BUSH'S REMARKS.
ON PROVIDING A GUARANTEE OF ACCEPTABILITY AFTER 1997, MR RENTON SAID NOT POSSIBLE TO GIVE THAT GUARANTEE, BUT UK WOULD MAKE CERTAIN IN THE TIME THAT IT IS ACCEPTABLE, WILL ANNOUNCE FINDINGS, AND EVERY PRESENT BOTC HOLDER WILL BE ABLE TO MAKE HIS OWN DECISION AFTER 1987 AS TO WHEN HE APPLIES FOR A BN (0) PASSPORT. EMPHASISED THAT NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT THIS EN(0) PASSPORT WILL BE WIDELY ACCEPTABLE (ALTHOUGH COULD GIVE NO ABSOLUTE GUARANTEE) AFTER 1997 AS WELL.+
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