TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 55

TRANSCRIPT A SELECT COKKITTER ON BONG KONG 12 JUTA 1989

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MR IVAN LAVRENCE (COFT);

going to have to rescue themselves from the total pariah

status that they have now sunk as a result of this

behaviour, to a level of acceptability by the Vestern

world and in a senge are they not therefore more

vulnerable to our demands than they might have been when

they had enjoyed a higher status before thees terrible

evente?

In other words, it is going to be so important for

them to rescue Hong Kong's status in their mind and in the

Hong Kong people's minds as the financial centre, the

Special Administrative Region, which has so much not only

an economic future for China but also political future for

that they may be prepared to make concessions that

they have hitherto not been prepared to make. Do you gaa

that as a possible silver lining to come out of this?

China,

SIR DAVID VILSON:

Looked at strictly from a Hong Kong point of view,

there is no doubt at all that what has happened in China

has done great damage to confidence in the arrangements

about the future, confidence in the arrangemante which are

something to which Britain and China are both committed,

both wish to aao a success for.