TNAG-1893-FCO40-2687-Visit-by-Francis-Maude--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1989 — Page 24

1989-09-19 23:19 G. I.S

1

36 P.07

MAY WONG (TVB): YOU SAID THAT BRITAIN IS WORKING HARD WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO FIND A LASTING SOLUTION. WE HAVE HEARD THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE THAT LASTING SOLUTION JUST NEVER SEEMED ΤΟ COME UP OR TO BECOME A REALITY. HOW LONG IS HONG KONG GOING TO TO WAIT BEFORE SUCH A SOLUTION BECOMES A REALITY?

HAVE

MR MAUDE: WELL. LET'S REMEMBER THAT THE GENEVA CONFERENCE ONLY TOOK PLACE IN JUNE AND THE - I THINK THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION WAS FORMULATED AT THAT STAGE AND IT SETS OUT WAYS AND MEANS OF RESOLVING THE PROBLEM AND SO THAT AGREEMENT HAS NOT BEEN IN PLACE FOR VERY LONG. I FULLY ACCEPT THAT THE PROBLEM HAS EXISTED FOR A VERY GREAT DEAL LONGER THAN THAT. THERE ARE FURTHER MEETINGS ΤΟ TAKE PLACE. THERE IS A FURTHER MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF

OCTOBER ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF ACTION AND THAT IS A MEETING IN WHICH WE'LL BE TAKING A VERY FULL PART, I CAN

ASSURE YOU.

MAY WONG: YOU SAY THAT REPATRIATION WILL HAVE ΤΟ BE THE SOLUTION, BUT RIGHT NOW THE MAJOR OBSTACLE IS THAT VIETNAM REFUSES TO ACCEPT MANDATORY REPATRIATION, HOW ELSE ARE WE GOING TO FIND A SOLUTION WHEN VIETNAM CANNOT BE PERSUADED"

PLAN OF

MR MAUDE: WELL, VIETNAM AGREED IN THE COMPREHENSIVE ACTION THAT REPATRIATION WAS THE ONLY ANSWER TO THOSE WHO ARE SCREENED OUT. NOT TO BE REFUGEES, AND ARE FOUND NOT TO BE REFUGEES, AND SO THEY HAVE AGREED THAT PP TRIATION IS THE ANSWER. AND WHAT WE ARE DOING AT

THE MOMENT IS WORK TI TO CONCLUDE AN AGREEMENT ON THE WAYS AND

WAYS AND MEANS OF ACHIEVING THAT.

↑

STEVE VINES

THE

OBSERVER): MR MAUDE. YOU SATD WHEN ARRIVED THAT CHINA HAD

THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR RESTORING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. HOW WORRIED ARE YOU THAT CHINA HASN'T BEEN TAKING STEPS TO RESTORE THIS CONFIDENCE IS HONG KONG?

بازار

PEOPLE

MR MAUDE: WELL. I SHOULD VERY MUCH PREFER IT. AN

KONG WOULD. IF THE CHINESE DID TAKE STEPS TO RESTORE "ONFIDENCE. BUT. I THINK THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS STAGE IS TO

LEUNE DISCUSSIONS AS WE HAVE PROPOSED AND AS WILL HAPPEN NEXT WEEK 0 CONDUCT THOSE DISCUSSIONS. AS I SAY, QUIETLY. FIRMLY. SENSIBLY OT ALWAYS SHOUTING WHAT WE ARE DOING FROM THE ROOFTOPS, BUT ONETHELESS WORKING HARD IN PRIVATE TO PROMOTE HONG KONG'S BEST

TERESTS.

STEVE VINES : WELL. WHAT STEPS WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO TAKE"

MR MAUDE: WELL, I THINK THE BEST STEPS THEY COULD TAKE AT HIS STAGE IS TO RECOGNISE THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS ABOUT SOME ASPECTS F THE BASIC LAW AND TO ENSURE THAT THOSE CONCERNS ARE REFLECTED HE BASIC LAW IS FINALLY FORMULATED.

WHEN