TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 23

14:39

Gallagher

MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD

14-JUL-1993

TRANSCRIPT

0491 579838 P.20

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SELECT COMMITTEE

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14 JULY 93

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MR GOODLAD:

On the

I think there can be no absolute certainty about the future of anywhere in the world, there can be no absolute certainty. other hand, the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law do project existing freedoms in Hong Kong and the government of the People's Republic of China have committed themselves in an internationally binding document registered with the United Nations, to leave Hong Kong's way of life unchanged for at least 50 years. That is a guarantee that is enjoyed by very very few other territories in the world. I think the fact that since 1984, since 1989, since the Basic Law 1991, you have seen the continuing burgeoning of confidence in Hong Kong, there have been blips of course, there have been ups and downs, but by and large there has been a tremendous vote of confidence in the future of Hong Kong by the people who live there, by businesses who invest and trade there and indeed by China which is far and away the biggest investor in Hong Kong, that the future will be stable and the people will want to stay and that Hong Kong will go on as it has been doing. SO I think myself that there are grounds for very very good confidence that people will want to stay and live there and work and that it will continue to be successful and stable and prosperous.

;

CHAI RMAN:

I am sure you were very wise, Minister, to avoid guaranteed predictions for the future, when the committee was in Hong Kong in 1989 we were given two absolutely firm predictions:

one, that

there would be a huge exodus of businessmen and officials in 1992,