TNAG-2714-FCO40-3920-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 37

14-JUL-1993 16:29

TRANSCRIPT B

Sha

JAMES LEE

0494536249

P.05

MR. ALASTAIR GOODLAD - FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT

COMMITTEE

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14 JULY 1993

MR. DAVID SUMBERG:

So you think it is perfectly possible to have, as you put it, these robust discussions over Hong Kong and still divorce other British-Chinese issues from them to have a good relationship over

those?

MR. ALASTAIR GOODLAD:

I think we must have robust discussions with China about Hong Kong because it is in the interests of China as well as Hong Kong that we get everything right for the future of Hong Kong and if we didn't have robust discussions and didn't get things right, then our relationship with China would subsequently deteriorate as a result and of course, things in Hong Kong would not be as good as they should be.

i

MR. DAVID SUMBERG:

600

You see, the allegation is made I hesitate to make it in front

of this galaxy of talent from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

- that officials have in the past tended to be too pro-Chinese and rather supine in their dealings with Peking.

respond to that suggestion?

How would you

MR. ALASTAIR GOODLAD;

I think that is an entertaining piece of journalistic fiction. The joke begins to wear off after a bit but in our system Ministers make policy, not officials; the officials carry it out and that is as true of Hong Kong as of any other area of policy.