TNAG-1850-FCO40-2625-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 56

TRAJSCRIPT

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SELECT COMMITTEE OF HONG KONG 12 JVIE 1989

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SIR DAVID VILSON (COFT):

There will be a lot of work which China needs to do

to repair that damage. All of that is abeolutely so. The

question of whether they feel vulnerable or not vulnerable

is I think a different one and that is a different sphere.

What has been happening in China recently has been done

despite the views of the rest of the world and one has to

take that into one's analysis.

Of course I hope, all of us hope, that China will

sae and recognise the damage that has been done and will

move to put it right. There is an imperative need to do

that.

What at this stage I do not think any of us can be

clear about is precisely when China will see that need and

in what way China will see that need. I certainly hope

that that point will come but I could not at this stage

predict exactly when or exactly how.

MR IVAR LAVRENCE:

But as long as that point does not come they will go

on enjoying the pariah status?

SIR DAVID VILSON:

They certainly are in that position at the moment

and they are carrying out their policies regardless of

being in that position.