A:
There is a rising appeal in Hong Kong saying Hong Kong should abandon its first asylum policy, what would you comment?
I think it would be detrimental for Hong Kong and the international community for it to abandon first asylum. Hong Kong has an enormous amount of goodwill in the international community but it also as part of maintaining that goodwill has to stand by the international agreements that we are all bound by for protection of humans. Now first asylum is part of that. What we hope we can do is find a resolution to the problem before it becomes that acute stage, it is very nearly at the acute stage now, in fact some people would say it is acute, and we have got to do therefore, is progress the talks on the internationally managed centres to get them up and running, or get it up and running, before the situation in Hong Kong comes to breaking point. Now that is a very difficult thing to do. But we are giving it an enormous amount of effort, we are getting tremendous cooperation from the Hong Kong Government. We are working closely with them and that is something that I will obviously' wish to discuss on my next visit.
Q:
A:
But in the future when the worst comes to the worst, will Britain allow Hong Kong to abandon first asylum policy?
That is in the future. We haven't got to that point yet, so let us hope we can resolve the situation without having to get that point, and face that decision.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.