TNAG-2715-FCO40-3921-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 74

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THE OBJECTIVES WERE COMMON ONES ALL ROUND AND IF THERE IS A DISPUTE WHICH WE FELT WAS ON IMPORTANT BUT NARROW, RATHER SMALL AND DETAILED MATTERS, IT IS A DISPUTE ABOUT THE PATH TO THAT COMMON OBJECTIVE OF THE SMOOTH TRANSITION.

NOW, BOB, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GAY A WORD? YES, AND THEN DAVID SUMBERG. BOB WAREING WILL JUST SAY A WORD ON THAT.

MR WAREING:

YES, IF I CAN GIVE A PERSONAL VIEW, I AGREE WITH WHAT MY COLLEAGUE, THE CHAIRMAN, HAS SAID ABOUT OUR WISH TO DEVELOP GOOD RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND INDEED, AS FAR AS TRADE IS CONCERNED, COMING AS I DO FROM LIVERPOOL AND KNOWING THAT THERE HAS BEEN À TWINNING BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND THE SHANGHAI CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, I AM VERY CONCERNED TO SEE THAT TRADE WITH CHINA DEVELOPS. HOWEVER, I DO HAVE TO BAY ALSO THAT WHILST WE IN BRITAIN REALLY DO WANT TO HAVE GOOD RELATIONS, WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE TRADE, THE BIGGEST SINGLE OBSTACLE TO THAT, IN MY OPINION, IS NOT JUST THE QUESTION - THE VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION THOUGH IT MAY BE OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, BUT THE UNDERLYING QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS. I BELIEVE THAT THE EVENTS OF JUNE THE FOURTH 1989 CREATED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONCERN IN BRITAIN, AND INDEED CERTAINLY SOME OF THE OTHER EVENTS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE WITHIN THE CHINESE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC - I THINK IN TERMS, FOR EXAMPLE, OF TIBET - I THINK THIS REALLY DOES CONCERN SO MANY OF US AND IT DOES INHIBIT THE GOOD RELATIONS THAT WE WANT TO SEE.

I SUSPECT THAT IT IS THE WHOLE QUESTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WHICH IS AT THE BASIS OF MANY OF THE DIFFICULTIES THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SEE IN THE FUTURE, SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES CONCERN US AND IT IS POSSIBLY THE BIGGEST SINGLE BARRIER TO THE PROMOTION OF THE SORT OF RELATIONS, AND PARTICULARLY THE TRADE RELATIONS, THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE WITH CHINA. PARTICULARLY STRUCK BY THOSE GROUPS WHO HAVE COME TO SEE US AND I HAVE BEEN DURING OUR DISCUSSIONS AND TALKED ABOUT A POSSIBLE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AND THAT SORT OF THING, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, WHILST WE CAN'T COMMIT OURSELVES, IS ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT BEFORE WE ISSUE OUR REPORT.

MR HOWELL:

I WILL TAKE ANOTHER QUESTION AND THEN BRING IN MY COLLEAGUE DAVID SUMBERG.

QUESTION:

AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IT IS SAID WILL HAVE TO APPROVE ANYTHING THAT IS BROUGHT TO IT OUT OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS ASSUMING SOMETHING IS BROUGHT TO IT OUT OF THE NEGOTIATIONS IS PART OF THE PURPOSE OF YOUR VISIT TO ASSESS FOR YOURSELF WHAT YOU FEEL IS THE COMMUNITY'S BOTTOM-LINE ON ANY AGREEMENT?

MR HOWELL

WELL,

S

OUR VISIT IS TO ABSESS THE WHOLE SITUATION UNFOLDING ISSUES HERE.

AND THE I THINK IF THERE WAS ENOUGH PRECISION IN THE SITUATION TO DESCRIBE BOTTOM-LINES, WE WOULD BE INTERESTED