TNAG-2715-FCO40-3921-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1993 — Page 82

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FIC

MR HOWELL!

THANK YOU. COULD WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION THE LADY THERE IN THE BLACK COAT.

QUESTION:

YOU WERE QUOTED BY THE MEDIA IN BEIJING THAT THE SINO-BRITISH DISPUTE 19 A SMALL MATTER. WOULD YOU LIKE TO ELABORATE BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN SPECULATION HERE THAT HONG KONG INTERESTS WOULD BE BRUSHED ASIDE FOR THE LONGER TERM INTERESTS OF BRITAIN IN CHINA?

MR HOWELL:

NO, I THINK THAT IS A COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC WAY OF LOOKING AT THINGS. WE SEE, OR I SEE, AND I EXPECT MOST PEOPLE AT WESTMINSTER SEE THESE INTERESTS AS COINCIDENTAL. IT IS TOTALLY IN THE BRITISH INTEREST THAT HONG KONG SHOULD PROSPER AND HAVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND BE STABLE, NOT LEAST FOR THE VERY PRACTICAL REASON THAT IT IS THROUGH BRITAIN'S CONNECTIONS WITH HONG KONG AND THROUGH HONG KONG AND THROUGH BRITISH CAPITAL AND BUSINESS IN HONG KONG THAT THE GATEWAY TO AN EXPANDING CHINA EXISTS. SO IT WOULD BE MADNESS FOR ANYONE IN BRITAIN TO BELIEVE THAT THERE WAS SOME AGENDA BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA THAT DISADVANTAGED HONG KONG. THE ONLY AGENDA BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA CAN BE ONE THAT IS BUILT ON THE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG, THEY ARE INSEPARABLE.

MR SUMBERG:

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ADD ON THAT THAT THE EVENTS THAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO DENY THAT AS A PROSPECTIVE. HAD BRITAIN WANTED IN SOME WAY TO SELL HONG KỌNG DOWN THE RIVER IN THE INTERESTS OF ANGLO-CHINESE RELATIONS, IT IS HARDLY LIKELY THAT THE GOVERNOR, PATTEN, WOULD HAVE COME HERE WITH THE PROPOSALS TO ADVANCE DEMOCRACY IN HONG KONG, TO PUT HONG KONG'S INTERESTS AT THE FORE; HE COULD HAVE HAD AN EASY LIFE AND A QUIET LIFE AND DONE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. BUT THE FACT THAT HE HAS BEEN SO PROACTIVE IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG NEGATIVES THAT PROPOSITION COMPLETELY, IT CANNOT BE TRUE FROM THE EVENTS WHICH YOU, PARTICULARLY, HAVE SEEN UNFOLD BEFORE YOU.

MR HOWELL:

I CAN TAKE THREE MORE QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE TIME IS GOING BY.

QUESTION (OBSERVER NEWSPAPER) :

YOU MENTIONED HUMAN RIGHTS DURING YOUR TALKS IN BEIJING, CAN YOU GIVE US ANY IDEA OF ANY SPECIFICS YOU BROUGHT UP AND PARTICULARLY DID YOU MENTION HAN DONGFENG?

MR WAREING:

WELL I CAN TELL YOU THAT CERTAINLY WHEN WE MET THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE IN BEIJING, WE WERE EXTREMELY BLUNT AND TO THE POINT ABOUT OUR FEELINGS OF THE EVENTS THAT AROSE IN TIANANMEN SQUARE, AND INDEED OVER TIBET. I CAN'T RECALL THAT WE RAISED THAT PARTICULAR CASE - I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES DID -- BUT CERTAINLY THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE AND HIS COLLEAGUES WENT AWAY UNDER NO ILLUSIONS AS TO HOW OFFENDED WE WERE AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN CHINA. AFTER ALL, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT NOT

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