TNAG-2365-FCO40-3437-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--former-Secretary-of-State-for-Fo-1991 — Page 63

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SIR CRUFFREY,

OF SEPTEMBER, AND DO YOU REGARD THAT AB BEING A REALISTIC TIME FRAME FOR AN AGREEMENT.

HELL, AS I SAID IN THE STATEMENT, WE ARE WORKING TO A PROGRAMME WHICH TAKES ACCOUNT OF CHINESE WISHES ON THE ONE HAND AND ALL OF OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS ON THE OTHER HAND. BEYOND THAT, AS I SAID IN ANSWER TO AN EARLIER QUESTION, WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS CLEARLY IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG FOR US TO REACH A BOOD AGREEMENT AS SOON AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. THERE IS A MANIFEST INTEREST IN CONCLUDING THE NEGOTIATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, IN ORDER TO LAY A FOUNDATION FOR CONFIDENCE AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE STAGE BUT THE PROGRAMME TO WHICH WE ARE WORKING TAKES ACCOUNT OF THE CHINESE WISHES AND OF ALL OUR OWN REQUIREMENTS.

218. ROBERT COTTRELL, FINANCIAL TIMES

A.

SIR GEOFFREY, YOU DWELL IN YOUR STATEMENT ON THE IMPORTANCE OF CERTAIN SPECIFIC FREEDOMS FOR HONG KONG. NOW THE TYPES OF FREEDOMS THAT YOU DESCRIBED ARE ALREADY PROMISED TO THE CHINESE PEOPLE, IN THE CHINESE CONSTITUTION. ARE YOU GOING TO ENSURE THAT FREEDOMS PROMISED TO HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE WILL MEAN MORE IN PRACTICE THAN THOSE WHICH HAVE BEEN PROMISED IN CHINA IN THE PAST.

ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FEATURES, WHICH IS ALSO REFERRED TO IN MY STATEMENT, IS THE NEED TO SECURE CONTINUATION OF THE PRESENT LEGAL SYSTEM, THE PRESENT

HÁMILIH PHHTERN OF JUSTICE, THE FAMILIAR SYSTEM-

FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE AND THE PRESENT FRAMEWORK OF LAW OF HONG KONG BASED UPON PRESENT SYSTEMS. AND IT IS ALL THOSE THINGS, THE LAWS THAT ARE ENFORCED, THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, AND THE COURTS BY WHICH THEY ARE ADMINISTERED, WHICH OF COURSE IN HONG KONG, PROVIDE THE ASSURANCE OF THOSE FREEDOMS, AND IT IS IN ORDER TO SECURE THE CONTINUATION OF THE FRAMEWORK WHICH WILL UPHOLD THOSE FREEDOMS IN THE WAY THAT IS FAMILIAR TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. BUT WE DO WANT TO SECURE ASSURANCE ON THOSE OTHER THINGS AS WELL.

Q:9. C.B. LAU, RADIO HONG KONG

A.

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SIR, WILL THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HONG KONG WAIT UNTIL A FINAL AGREEMENT BEFORE WE CAN KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.

WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO THROUGHOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS, IS TO CONSULT AS FULLY AS WE CAN CONSISTENT WITH CONFIDENTIALITY SURROUNDING THE NEGOTIATIONS THEMSELVES. I AM QUITE CERTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS IS IMPORTANT FOR THE SUCCESS OF THOSE NEGOTIATIONS. IT IS MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER INTERNATIONAL NEGOTIATIONS THAT THE ACTUAL NEGOTIATING PROCESS HAS TO BE CONDUCTED IN CONFIDENCE. BUT ALONGSIDE THAT, WE SHALL CONTINUE TO CONSULT, IN THE WAY THAT I HAVE DESCRIBED. THIS PRESS CONFERENCE. TODAY IS A FURTHER STEP IN THAT PROCESS IN WHICH I HAVE TOLD QUITE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT ABOUT WHAT OUR OBJECTIVES ARE IN THESE NEGOTIATIONS. WE SHALL CONTINUE TO PERFORM IN THIS FASHION. OF COURSE, AT THE END OF THE NEGOTIATING PROCESS THEN THE AGREEMENT WILL BE PUBLISHED. IT WILL BE PUBLISHED FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO CONSIDER, FOR PARLIAMENT TO CONSIDER, FOR OTHER PEOPLE TO CONSIDER. AS I SAID, TIME WILL BE ALLOWED FOR THAT CONSIDERATION, FOR PARLIAMENT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

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