UNCLASSIFIED
MDHIA
004761
979
Q. ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE FEARS AND CONCERNS IN HONG KONG ARE UNFOUNDED ?
WHAT I SAID WAS THAT WE RAISED
DH. NO, I DID NOT SAY THAT. EVERY CONCERN RAISED WITH US IN HONG KONG AND WE THOUGHT THE CHINESE RESPONSE POSITIVE.
DO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT OBJECT TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT CHANGING ITS POLICY ON NATIONALITY ?
Q.
DH. NO.
HAVE THE CHINESE AGREED TO DO MORE TO PREVENT VBPS SAILING ON TO HONG KONG ?
Q.
DH. OUR TALKS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS WERE INFORMAL AND OFF THE RECORD. I CANNOT GO INTO DETAIL AS TO WHAT WAS SAID. THE CHINESE DO UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM. IT IS A PROBLEM THAT WE IN BRITAIN ALSO REGARD AS IMPORTANT. THE PR C ALSO HAS A PART TO PLAY IN SOLVING THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS MY IMPRESSION THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THIS.
ON THE PACE OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG, DID THE CHINESE SAY THAT THIS WAS UP TO HONG KONG PEOPLE TO DECIDE ?
Q.
DH. IN THE END PEKING WILL OF COURSE HAVE TO APPROVE THE BL, BUT YES, THEY DID.
DID THE CHINESE INDICATE WHEN HONG KONG WILL HAVE FULL DEMOCRACY AFTER 1997 ?
Q =
THAT IS A MATTER TO BE SETTLED IN THE DRAFTING AND REDRAFTING OF THE DBL. NOT A MATTER FOR US TO COMMENT ON.
DH.
Q. WHAT ABOUT THE FIRST CE BEING ELECTED IN THE SAME WAY AS THE SECOND ?
DH. WE RAISED THIS. BUT AGAIN IT WAS IN AN OFF THE RECORD MEETING AND I CANNOT GO INTO EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID. THERE ARE MORE ADJUSTMENTS ON THE WAY. WHAT WAS SAID WAS POSITIVE.
Q =
WHAT ABOUT A REFERENDUM BEFORE 1997 ?
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