TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 28

QUESTION: STILL ON THE POINT OF CONVERGENCE.

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YOU JUST MENTIONED THERE ARE LOTS OF LIAISON CHANNELS SUCH AS JLG AND INFORMAL CONTACT BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS. BUT ALL THESE CHANNELS ARE NOT OPEN THE PUBLIC. HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT OUR VIEWS ARE REALLY REFLECTED BY THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS?

SIR GEOFFREY: I THINK THE BEST ASSURANCE YOU CAN HAVE IS THE EXTENT TO WHICH BOTH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE THROUGHOUT PAID THE CLOSEST ATTENTION TO THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND THE FACT THAT THOSE VIEWS HAVE BEEN FIRMLY, FAITHFULLY AND FULLY EXPRESSED BY MEMBERS OF EXCO AS WELL AS MEMBERS OF LEGCO. IT'S PART OF THEIR JOB AND IT IS A PART WHICH THEY PERFORM VERY WELL.

QUESTION I WOULD LIKE TO ASK WHETHER THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED ON THE WAYS TO ASSESS PUBLIC OPINIONS AFTER THE 1987 REVIEW IS PUBLISHED?

SIR GEOFFREY: THAT REVIEW IS ESSENTIALLY A REVIEW BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AND, IN THE COURSE OF IT EVERYWAY IN WHICH OPINION IS EXPRESSED IS BEING TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. IT'S NOT FOR ME TO ANTICIPATE THE WAY IN WHICH THAT REVIEW WILL

BE. BROUGHT TO A CONCLUSION.

QUESTION: JUST NOW, SIR GEOFFREY SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD PAY ATTENTION TO HONG KONG PEOPLE'S VIEW AND WOULD LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF EXCO AND LEGCO, AND EARLIER THE EXCO MEMBERS VISITED BRITAIN, AND FROM WHAT THEY SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE VIEW OF HONG KONG PEOPLE ON DIRECT ELECTION?

SIR GEOFFREY WHAT I THINK IS CLEAR IS THAT, ON THE QUESTION OF DIRECT ELECTION WHETHER, WHEN, TO WHAT EXTENT

ALL THE MANY ASPECTS OF IT THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY

OF VIEWS BEING EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG, FROM EVERY POINT

OF THE SPECTRUM AND IT WOULD BE QUITE WRONG FOR ME NOW TO ATTEMPT TO REACH A CONCLUSION ON THE SUBJECT WHICH IS THE VERY SUBJECT OF THAT REVIEW.

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QUESTION: FOLLOWING UP ON THE QUESTION ON THE LIAISON MATTER. SIR GEOFFREY, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE MANY CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, THROUGH WHICH YOU UNDERSTAND YOU CAN TAKE HONG KONG PEOPLE'S OPINION INTO ACCOUNT. OUR CONCERN IS - SINCE THESE ARE CLOSE DOOR MEETINGS - HOW CAN WE BE ASSURED THAT THE VIEWS REFLECTED ARE INDEED THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE HONG KONG PEOPLE'S OPINION MAY NOT CONVERGE WITH PEKING'S WISHES?

SIR GEOFFREY: THE ASSESSMENT OF THE OPINION OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, LIKE THE ASSESSMENT OF OPINION ON SO MANY QUESTIONS, IS SOMETHING WHICH TAKES PLACE NOT ONLY THROUGH DIFFERENT LIAISON CHANNELS BUT IN PART IN PUBLIC AND IN PART IN THE CONFIDENTIAL DELIBERATIONS, THAT IS A NECESSARY PART OF THE WORKING OF ANY BODY LIKE EXCO. BUT THE DISCUSSION OF IT IN LEGCO, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOT BEHIND CLOSE DOORS. DISCUSSIONS OF IT IN THE HONG KONG PRESS IS ANYTHING BUT BEHIND CLOSE DOORS. ALL THOSE MANIFESTATIONS OF HONG KONG OPINIONS ARE FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT, BOTH BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HERE AND OF COURSE BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AS WELL.

I CAN'T DO MORE THAN EXPLAIN THE PROCESS, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THE IMPORTANCE WE ATTACH TO THAT PROCESS.

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