TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 35

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SIR GEOFFREY: I DON'T THINK ANYONE CAN BEGIN TO OFFER OPINIONS AS TO WHICH VIEW IS IMPORTANT. WHOSE VIEW IS IMPORTANT. I THINK ONE HAS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF ALL THE VIEWS. WHAT IS CLEAR AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THERE IS A WIDE DIVERSITY OF OPINION. IT IS NOT CLEAR, I THINK, HOW OPINION WILL MOVE AS THAT DEBATE CONTINUES IN THE MONTHS AHEAD. IT WOULD BE INFLUENCED BY MANY FACTORS, AND IT IS NOT FOR ME NOW TO SAY HOW THE OUTCOME WILL BE DETERMINED. THAT IS FOR THOSE CONDUCTING THE REVIEW.

DIS: I THINK WE HAVE TO COME TO THE LAST THREE QUESTIONS BECAUSE SIR GEOFFREY HAS A FLIGHT TO CATCH.

QUESTION: SIR GEOFFREY

SIR GEOFFREY, I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE MY QUESTION IN CHINESE. SIR GEOFFREY, NOW THAT HONG KONG IS IN THE

TRANSITIONAL PERIOD, AND THERE IS THE DAYA BAY INCIDENT, HOW CAN YOU ASSESS THE IMPACT OF THIS INCIDENT ON HONG KONG? DO YOU THINK THIS INCIDENT IS A BLOW TO PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG? AND THE SECOND QUESTION IS, DO YOU THINK THIS INCIDENT WOULD AFFECT THE BRITISH OR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S STAND ON THE PACE IN INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTION BECAUSE MANY LEGCO COUNCILLORS THINK THAT LEGCO WAS UNABLE TO REFLECT PUBLIC OPINION AND THEY THEREFORE ASKED THAT THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTION IN HONG KONG. BUT OTHERS SAY THAT THE INDIRECTLY ELECTED LEGCO MEMBERS HAD SAID TOO MUCH AND THERE SHOULD BE A SLOWER PACE AS FAR AS DIRECT ELECTION IS CONCERNED. WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON THIS ISSUE?

SIR GEOFFREY ON THE LAST QUESTION, AGAIN IT'S NOT FOR ME TO EXPRESS MY VIEW. YOU VERY INTERESTINGLY SUMMARISED THE TWO VIEWS THAT ARE EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG - SOME PEOPLE SAYING THAT THE PARTICULAR LESSONS WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT BE DRAWN FROM THE DAYA BAY PROJECT POINT IN THE DIRECTION OF MOVING MORE AND MORE QUICKLY IN THE DIRECTION OF DIRECT ELECTION AND OTHER PEOPLE SAYING EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE. THAT MERELY UNDERLINES THE POINT THAT I'VE BEEN MAKING, THAT THERE IS A TODAY DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS ABOUT IT. I THINK THAT THE HANDLING OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT ITSELF DOES DEMONSTRATE THE EXTENT TO WHICH NOT ONLY THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT BUT MEMBERS OF BOTH EXCO AND LEGCO HAVE TAKEN VERY SERIOUS NOTICE OF THE CONCERN EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY ASPECTS OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. IT'S QUITE RIGHT THAT THOSE CONCERNS SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AND EXPRESSED VERY PLAINLY. THEY WERE EXPRESSED VERY PLAINLY TO US IN LONDON BY MEMBERS OF EXCO WHEN THEY CAME THERE. AND THE PRIME MINISTER WAS ABLE TO ASSURE MEMBERS OF EXCO THAT WE WERE FULLY AWARE OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE WELFARE AND WELLBEING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, THAT WE HAVE EXPRESSED OUR CONCERN TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND THAT WE WERE CONFIDENT, IN LIGHT OF THOSE REPRESENTATIONS, THAT EVERY EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION, OPERATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT WILL BE CARRIED OUT TO THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE SAFETY STANDARDS. SO I THINK THE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM THE HANDLING OF DAYA BAY, ARE THAT THE EXISTING MACHINERY HAS BEEN FULLY AND RIGHTLY USED TO EXPRESS AND TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON THAT SUBJECT.

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