TNAG-1891-FCO40-2684-Visits-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe-and-by-Douglas-Hurd--Secretaries-1989 — Page 55

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HONG KONG PC 4 JULY 1989

FORRIGE SECRETARY:

What 1 wam anying is not that people can have, or do have or

should have total confidence in the Joint Declaration.

What i mäs

saying though is that it is common ground between all those who seek

to represent the people of Hong Kong, as well as ourselves, that the

Joint Declaration is the best place un which to stand. It

represents a definition of what we are trying to achieve, which 16

separatonace for Hong Kong in a role and lifestyle of its own.

forever.

Of course nobody is able to say that is for sure, failsafe,

Par from it. Of course the pattern of emigration fron

Hong Kong which has taken place over the years anyway, which is now

taking place on a much more substantial scale, is a measure of the

extent to which people do not have confidence in that. That 16 odą

reason why I have gone through the seven points that I have set out

They are all things that Britain can do and will do to try

here.

and strengthen that confidence.

But neither Britain nor anybody else can deliver 100 percent

guarantees of reliability in that respect.

QUESTION (Daily Bxpress);

Has the British Governmat idë auỹ provision fur ine

possible arrival of 300 million Buropeans after 1992?