Interviewer
If I can start off on Czechoslovakia, Prime Minister, does it make any difference to what has been regarded by some as your cautious approach to the developments in Eastern Europe?
Prime Minister
Oh, not in any way. Indeed, I think it is surprising that Czechoslovakia was not among the first group of countries who asked for more freedom, to demonstrate for it. It has come just a little bit later than Hungary and Poland and East Germany but bearing in mind that we remember the Prague Spring over twenty years ago, that Mr. Dub&chacek;ek was in the lead and that the Soviet Union then snuffed out with the tanks in a terrible way that desire for liberty, it is not surprising that it has become renewed and we hope that this time it will come to full fruition. [end p1]
Interviewer
But you do presumably welcome the resignation of the Party bosses in Czechoslovakia?
Prime Minister
We believe that it is a step towards getting a full democratic system. There is quite a long way to go.
Interviewer
Do you believe that your arguments - and you seem to be in agreement with the President here in a number of your arguments - do you believe those arguments, when you go to the NATO Summit in ten days, will be accepted by the other Heads of Government?
Prime Minister
We are not reconsidering the NATO Summit communique and way ahead, which we agreed in May. That stands.
What the President is going to do is report on his talks with Mr. Gorbachev to us. I do not think there is any question of us changing what we agreed in that communique because we are actually negotiating with the Warsaw Pact countries, with Mr. Gorbachev, on the reductions that we agreed we should go for in that communique and those negotiations are still in progress and we hope they will come to fruition next year. [end p2]
Interviewer
And so there will not be any issue of communique, but do you think there will be general agreement that the cautious approach that you and the President are calling for will be accepted?
Prime Minister
Yes. The cautious approach is much more likely to last than anyone who dashes into these great matters. You must get it right and take time.
Interviewer
Can I ask you about the Vietnamese boat people. You said that it came up during your discussions with the President. Did he put to you his views and did you put to him your views?
Prime Minister
It came up because I raised it and because I wished George Bushhim to know that having tried everything else and the boat people still coming in considerable numbers to Hong Kong, Hong Kong could not take them. Everyone who comes is interviewed and if they are genuine refugees they are not returned but if they are not genuine refugees then we really must begin to treat them like other illegal immigrants and repatriate them. Some have returned voluntarily and we have watched their progress very carefully and they have been all right on their return to Vietnam. [end p3] We shall proceed with repatriating others in just the same way as when illegal immigrants come across the border from China to Hong Kong. Hong Kong can no longer take them. She has five million people on this tiny little island and a small bit on the mainland, so we return them to China. We shall have to do the same with the Vietnamese boat people. It is not a thing which we would wish to do, but you simply cannot go on taking that number and we will still have to find a home in other countries who will take for the 13,000 genuine refugees.
Interviewer
Does the issue remain an area of disagreement between the UK and the US?
Prime Minister
I think the United States would prefer that we did not do it. I think we would prefer that we did not have to do it, but you know, Hong Kong has never pushed those boats away. There are other countries who do, and we simply have to consider the interests of the Hong Kong people and therefore we shall have to react in this way.
Interviewer
Forcible repatriation? [end p4]
Prime Minister
Returning illegal immigrants to their country of origin. It is something which happens very frequently. The United States does it, people come in from Haiti and also from Mexico. We do it to people from China and we shall have to do it to people from Vietnam.
You must consider the Hong Kong people. It is all very well to sit here and say it is difficult. I know it is difficult; we have to take the decision. There are five million people on a tiny little island and a tiny little bit of property on the mainland. They cannot go on like that.
Interviewer
Can I turn to domestic matters, Prime Minister. I am getting confused by the various reports I am reading in British newspapers about your future. Can you clear up for us once and for all what is your future?
Prime Minister
Well, that depends on the results of elections for a start, but assuming that those are all right, I think you are referring to an interview with one of the newspapers when I was asked was it likely that I would go on not only with a fourth election but with a fifth, and I think I hesitated because it seemed really quite a long way away and said it may not be likely. It was reported as if I were going to give up immediately after a fourth election. That was quite wrong and it would have been quite wrong to have stood under [end p5] those circumstances. So many many people said: “Look! Please do not leave it in the air like that! People will be very uncertain. It will be held against us and the Party in the fourth election. Therefore please make it clear that you would go on to a fifth election!” so I have done just that.
Please do not go on beyond that and say does it mean going on and on and on and on! I have not said that.
Interviewer
One final question then. Turning to the current Party leadership contest, are there any others around who could perhaps do the job better than you?
Prime Minister
Look! Which job are you talking about, the leader of the Party or Prime Minister? The two are very different.
I shall just carry on as I have, doing the job next in hand. It is as much as I can do to cope with that.
Interviewer
I was talking about the party leadership contest.
Prime Minister
I shall just carry on. I think if there is one, that is for the Party to determine.