TNAG-2049-FCO40-2919-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 44

1930-09-21 16:23 BRITISH TRADE COMMISSTON

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JOHN ANDREWS, THE ECONOMIST: SORRY, COULD WE HAVE THE QUESTION AIN BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HEAR IT BACK HERE?

LORD CAITHNESS: AS I UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION, IS WAS HOW I WOULD JUDGE WHETHER THE 1991 ELECTIONS WERE SUCCESSFUL. AND THEN GOING ON TO SAY - GOING TO CHINA TO SAY, "CAN ONE INCREASE THE SEATS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS?" AND AS I SAID, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASSESS THE SUCCESS OF THE 1991 ELECTIONS ON THE PURE BASIS AS WE ASSESS THEM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. I THINK THAT ONE -- I HOPE THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE ELECTIONS; I HOPE THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE WILL PUT THEIR NAMES ON THE ELECTORAL VOTE ROLL AND TURN OUT TO VOTE ON THE OCCASIONS. I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THREE LOTS OF ELECTIONS NEXT YEAR, ALL OF WHICH ARE IMPORTANT. AND THEN ONE WANTS TO ASSESS HOW IT DEVELOPS FROM THERE. AND I HAVE SAID THAT WHEN ONE CAN ASSESS THAT - AND AT A PROPITIOUS TIME ONE WILL GO BACK TO THE CHINESE AND SEEK TO NEGOTIATE AN INCREASE IN THE TWENTY IF THAT CAN BE SHOWN TO WORK.

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FANNY FUNG, ATV: CAN I FOLLOW UP ON THAT QUESTION, YOU SAY IF IT IS SUCCESSFUL YOU WILL GO BACK TO CHINA AND ASK FOR MORE SEATS. BUT HOW LIKELY OR HOW OPTIMISTIC DO YOU THINK CHINA WILL AGREE TO SUCH NEGOTIATIONS WHEN CHINA IS ALREADY SAYING THE PACE OF DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG IS ALREADY TOO FAST?

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DONE

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LORD CAITHNESS: WELL AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF HARD WORK WAS ON THE BASIC LAW - FIVE YEARS OF VERY CONSIDERABLE DETAILED WORK THERE WERE SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE NEGOTIATED DURING THAT TIME. I BELIEVE THAT WITH SUCCESSFUL 1991 ELECTIONS, WHICH ARE VERY CRUCIAL TO THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, WHICH THE WORLD WILL BE LOOKING AT, WHEN THAT PROCESS HAS HAPPENED AND AT A PROPITIOUS TIME AFTER THAT, ONE WILL GO BACK TO CHINA AND SAY: THIS DOES WORK, YOU CAN SEE IT, HERE ARE THE TANGIBLE BENEFITS, HERE ARE THE TANGIBLE RESULTS. NOW I CAN'T PREDICT WHETHER THAT IS GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL OR NOT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT - AS I WILL REPEAT - THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE UP.

FOO CHOY PENG, THE STRAITS TIMES: BUT THAT WOULD PRESUME THAT YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS IS THE SAME AS CHINA'S DEFINITION OF SUCCESS.

LORD CAITHNESS: NO, WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT AFTER THE 1991 ELECTIONS WE WILL LOOK AT THE SITUATION AGAIN, AND IF IT IS SUCCESSFUL AND EVERYBODY CONSIDERS IT TO BE SUCCESSFUL, WE WILL TALK TO THE CHINESE, IMPRESS UPON THEM WHY WE THINK IT IS SUCCESSFUL THEY MIGHT HAVE A DIFFERENT VIEW BUT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS.

JOHN ANDREWS, THE ECONOMIST: I REALISE THAT YOU SAY THAT THERE IS NOT A PARALLEL WITH SUCCESS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, BUT YOU KEEP USING THE WORD "SUCCESS" OR "SUCCESSFUL" FOR THE 1991 ELECTION, 30 PRESUMABLY YOU DO HAVE A DEFINITION IN YOUR OWN MIND OF WHAT THIS WORD MEANS. COULD YOU SHARE IT WITH US?

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