UNCLASSIFIED
004761
MDHIAN 1979
DH. WE GOT A VERY POSITIVE RESPONSE. OPEN SQUARE BRACKET EMBASSY COMMENT: WE INTERPRET THIS AS REFERRING TO THE GENERAL CHINESE ATTITUDE RATHER THAN THE SPECIFIC POINT IN THE LAST QUESTION CLOSE SQUARE BRACKET.
DID THE CHINESE MAKE ANY OBJECTIONS TO DIRECT ELECTIONS IN 1998 ?
Q.
DH. I HAVE NO RECORD IN MY MIND AT THAT VIEW BEING EXPRESSED. LI HOU TOLD US THAT PEKING TAKES THE VIEW THAT THEY WILL ENDORSE AND APPROVE ANYTHING PUT UP IN HONG KONG.
Q =
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING ?
DH. OF COURSE WE ARE NEVER SATISFIED AND ALWAYS WANT MORE TO DO. ALL THOSE INVOLVED RECOGNISE THAT THERE IS A LOT MORE TO DO.
WE WILL BE SATISFIED WHEN THE JOB IS COMPLETE AND ALL THE WORRIES IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN SUBSTANTIALLY ALLEVIATED.
Q. COULD YOU COMMENT ON RECENT EVENTS IN CHINA ?
DH. I CAN ONLY RESPOND ON
I CANNOT COMMENT ON CHINA
Q =
ISSUES ON BEHALF OF THE F A C.
AS A WHOLE.
WILL EVENTS IN CHINA AFFECT HONG KONG'S FUTURE ?
DH. I'VE GOT A STRONG SENSE HERE THAT THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO THE LONG TERM AND OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS'' WHICH IS
IRREVERSIBLE AND WHICH IS BUILT INTO THE LONG TERM STRATEGIC VIEWS CHINA TAKES. THE WHOLE QUESTION OF 1997 AND THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS IS INTEGRAL TO THEIR WHOLE STRATEGIC CONCEPT AND
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WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY EVENTS HERE.
WILL YOU COME BACK TO HONG KONG AGAIN BEFORE MAKING YOUR REPORT ?
Q =
DH. PERSONALLY I WOULD LOVE TO, BUT THE PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS AND A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS MAKE IT UNLIKELY.
ENDS.
DONALD
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