TNAG-1478-FCO40-2010-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1986 — Page 36

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QUESTION: SIX GEOFFREY, I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE ANSWERED MY QUESTION CONCERNING WHETHER YOU THINK THAT THIS INCIDENT IS A SETBACK ON THE EXPRESSION OF PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG. AND I HAD ALSO SUMMARISED THE DIVERGENT VIEWS ON DIRECT ELECTIONS. IN CONSIDERING ELECTION, AND IN CONDUCTING THE REVIEW IN 1987 WOULD YOU ALSO CONSIDER THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE GAINED FROM THE DAYA BAY INCIDENT?

SIR GEOFFREY: WELL I THINK I'VE ANSWERED THAT QUESTION.

QUESTION: SIR GEOFFREY, VERY SORRY TO STAND UP FOR A THIRD TIME. BUT I FIND THE EXPRESSION +TAKING OUR OPINION INTO CONSIDERATION+ RATHER ALARMING. I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL NOT TAKE OUR VIEWS INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT MERELY TAKING A VIEW INTO CONSIDERATION MAY MEAN - AND I'M ASKING YOU, CHECKING YOUR OPINION - WHETHER I AM RIGHT TO SAY THAT EVEN IF THERE IS CLEAR PUBLIC OPINION IN HONG KONG FOR DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988, WE MAY NOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE DIRECT ELECTION IN 1988 IF PEKING OBJECTS.

SIR GEOFFREY: I THINK THAT THE ANSWER TO THAT IS TO BE FOUND

IF 1 MERELY RE-READ TO YOU AGAIN THE SENTENCE SUMMING UP THE MEETING IN LONDON BETWEEN THE PRIME MINISTER AND OTHERS AND EXCO LAST MONTH: +THE PRIME MINISTER REAFFIRMED THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO THE 1987 REVIEW AND CONFIRMED THAT FULL ACCOUNT WILL BE TAKEN OF THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHEN DRAWING CONCLUSIONS FROM THE REVIEW.+ THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN STATED ON THE RECORD BY THE GOVERNMENT, AND THAT REMAINS THE POSITION.

QUESTION,

SINCE YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO ANSWER WHETHER YOU THINK DIRECT ELECTIONS IS SUITABLE FOR HONG KONG, WOULD YOU ANSWER A VERY GENERAL QUESTION AS TO WHETHER YOU THINK THAT DIRECT ELECTIONS WILL LEAD TO PARTY POLITICS AND DO YOU THINK PARTY POLITICS IS DETRIMENTAL TO HONG KONG?

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SIR GEOFFREY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE OF THE FEATURES THAT WILL BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT NO DOUBT BY THOSE MAKING REPRESENTATIONS ABOUT THIS QUESTION AND REACHING CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THEM. KNOW THAT THE VIEW HAS BEEN EXPRESSED THAT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR HONG KONG TO MOVE TO A SYSTEM RASED UPON PARTISAN POLITICS OF THE TRADITIONAL KIND. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THAT VIEW IS EXPRESSED. AND THAT'S CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FEATURES -.TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

QUESTION: YOU JUST MENTIONED THAT THE CHINESE AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENTS WILL, THROUGH THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, EXCHANGE VIEWS TO ENSURE CONVERGENCE OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM. CAN YOU QUOTE CASES TO ILLUSTRATE THAT YOU EXCHANGED VIEWS ON VARIOUS ISSUES? AND ON WHAT ISSUES? AND SECONDLY HAS THERE BEEN DIVERGENCE OF VIEWS ON BOTH PARTIES AND WHAT IS THE DIVERGENCE ACTUALLY?

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