TNAG-1749-FCO40-2468-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 127

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MYSELF HAVE HAD 7 MEETINGS IN JUST THE LAST TWO YEARS WITH WU XUEQIAN, WHO IS NOW A DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER IN PEKING. HONG KONG HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS.

AND HERE I WANT TO EXPLODE ANOTHER MYTH: THAT BRITAIN IS, HAS OR

WOULD SACRIFICE HONG KONG'S INTERESTS IN THE PURSUIT OF BETTER

SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS.

THAT IS HOGWASH. EVEN IF WE WERE DAFT ENOUGH TO THINK THERE WAS

ANY BENEFIT IN DOING SO, IT WOULD NOT BE WITHIN OUR POWER. NOTHING WOULD ESTROY SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS FASTER THAN A FAILURE OF OUR JOINT ENTERPROSE IN HONG KONG. AND DON'T FORGET

THAT OUR OWN ECONOMIC INTERESTS IN HONG KONG ARE IMMENSE.

AND THE SAME IS TRUE OF CHINA. THEIR ECONOMIC INTEREST IN HONG

KONG'S SUCCESS IS EVEN LARGER THAN OURS, AND GROWING FAST.

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QUITE APART FROM THAT THEY HAVE THE OVERWHELMING INCENTIVE OF PROVING THAT DENG XIAOPING'S INSIGHT, ONE COUNTRY TWO SYSTEMS,

CAN BE MADE A REALITY. THE ACHIVEMENT OF THAT REALITY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO DEEPLY FELT CHINESE ASPIRATIONS FOR NATIONAL UNITY.

SO HOWEVER YOU LOOK AT IT, BRITAIN AND CHINA HAVE THE STRONGEST INTEREST IN WORKING FOR HONG KONG'S SUCCESS. THESE COMMON

INTERESTS HAVE BROUGHT US TOGETHER IN A CLOSE PARTNERSHIP.

HONG KONG HAS BEEN THE CATALYST OF THIS RELATIONSHIP AND ITS

CHIEF BENEFICIARY. THERE IS EVERY REASON FOR CONFIDENCE THAT

HONG KONG CAN RETAIN THAT ROLE SEMI COLON AND CONTINUE TO CONTRIBUTE TO MAKING THE PACIFIC RIM THE FASTEST GROWING

REGION OF THE WORLD ION THE YEARS AHEAD.

I HAVE SPOKEN TODAY IN AN UNASHAMEDLY UPBEAT WAY. TAHT DOES NOT MEAN THAT I DO NOT UNDERSTAND YOUR FEARS AND CONCERNS. THERE

ARE MOMENTS IN THE DARK OF THE NIGHT WHEN NONE OF US CAN HELP ASKING ''WAHT IF

AND THERE IS NO-ONE ON THIS EARTH WHO

CAN LOOK FORWARD WITH ABSOLUTE CONFIDENCE TO THE YEARS AHEAD AND SAY ''NOTHING CAN GO WRONG''

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IT IS RIGHT AND NATURAL THAT YOU SHOULD CONSTANTLY ASK YOURSELVES IF EVERYTHING IS BEING DONE WHICH CAN BE DONE TO SECURE YOUR FUTURE. THAT YOU SHOULD QUESTION, EXAMINE AND SUGGEST. EVEN THAT YOU SHOULD SEEK, SO FAR AS POSSIBLE, TO TAKE

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