9 No.92
FE/1533 A2/8
fully provided for in the Basic Law when it was drafted on the basis of the views repeatedly solicited from among representatives of all social strata in Hong Kong. The provisions on these issues cannot be distorted or altered at will.
Commenting on Hong Kong Governor Chris Patten's administrative report, Zhou Nan said: The recent NPC Standing Committee session in Beijing also placed this issue on its agenda. This shows that the Chinese people attach great importance to this issue...
Zhou Nan pointed out: The British authorities in Hong Kong are confronted by two options. One is to continue to go their own way, insisting on ignoring the joint declaration and the Basic Law. This will inevitably infringe upon the interests of Hong Kong residents and undermine their stability and prosperity. Naturally the Chinese government will not bear any responsibility for all the consequences that will arise from this. The other option is to return to the course of strictly abiding by the Joint Declaration, the principles in the Basic Law and the understanding reached by the Chinese and British governments. Only by so doing can the two sides resume meaningful consultations, and only this choice tallies with the fundamental interests of Hong Kong residents, as well as with those of China and Britain.
Zhou Nan said: China sincerely wishes to cooperate closely with the British side in order to ensure Hong Kong's smooth transition, stability and prosperity. But cooperation requires the willingness and sincerity for cooperation from both sides. I think neither people in Hong Kong nor the Chinese government will allow anyone to make a mess in Hong Kong.
Zhou Nan stressed: The Chinese government always attaches great importance to principles. This is to say that it never trades its principles. The Chinese government also abides by its word and acts decisively. All the documents and agreements we have signed still hold. Even if the other side lacks sincerity in cooperation, we are fully confident and have the ability to unite with the vast number of Hong Kong residents to firmly and earnestly implement the joint declaration and the Basic Law, to achieve “one country, two systems" and to ensure Hong Kong's smooth transition, stability and prosperity. Thus, we are very optimistic about the future of Hong Kong no matter what happens.
The attendees warmly responded to Zhou Nan's talks. The deputies and members vied for the floor to comment on the great significance of the 14th National CCP Congress and to pledge their support for the Chinese government's clear-cut stand on the Hong Kong issue.
Some Hong Kong members of the All-China Youth Federation and Hong Kong delegates to the National Women's Congress also attended today's forum.
'WEN WEI PO' CONDEMNS PATTEN'S “DIRTY
ACT” IN MEETING TAIWAN OFFICIAL
'Wen Wei Po' Hong Kong in Chinese 7 Nov 92
Text of editorial, “What Does Chris Patten Want To Do?"
According to the Taiwan press: Chris Patten has broken the more than 40-year taboo for Hong Kong governors on making contact with figures in Taiwan political circles, going so far as to meet Hsu Sheng-fa [6079 0524 4099], Kuomintang [KMT] Central Committee Standing Committee member and an official in Taiwan's ruling political party on 3rd November.
To cover up the truth, Mike Hanson, Information Coordinator to the Hong Kong Governor, told reporters that the Hong Kong government had only met the visiting delegation from Taiwan's Industrial Chamber and it "has not broken the taboo on contacts between Hong Kong and Taiwan officials". Such a cover-up has precisely revealed Chris Patten's duality, wanting to play a political trick while being afraid to reveal his dirty act to the public.
Press reports have burst the lie. In Patten's opening remarks on meeting Hsu Sheng-fa he said: "This meeting has broken the precedent whereby Hong Kong governors refrained from meeting Taiwan officials for years, with the hope of exchanging views on bilateral economic exchanges and trade."
Noteworthy is the fact that the crux of Governor Patten's remark does not lie in “economic exchanges and trade" but in "breaking the precedent". That can be discerned by anyone with any political common sense.
As everybody knows, Hong Kong has always been part of Chinese territory and China has always opposed the British Hong Kong government and other forces utilizing Hong Kong in pursuing activities of "two Chinas" or "one China, one Taiwan". On this position, China has always opposed the British Hong Kong government having any ties with the Taiwan authorities. That precisely accounts for the fact that all post-war Hong Kong governors have refrained from meeting Taiwan officials. However, in the wake of Chris Patten delivering his 7th October "inauguration speech", Taiwan's "Executive Yuan Premier" Hau Pei-tsun and "Minister of Foreign Affairs" Frederick Chien, in turn, said where they stood and stated their support for Chris Patten's constitutional changes. Ma Ying-chiu, Taiwan's “Mainland Affairs Council Vice-Chairman" also took an affirmative stand on Chris Patten's "inauguration speech", saying: "Hong Kong and Taiwan will enjoy closer relations". Also in its wake, Taiwan's KMT forces in Hong Kong have begun to stir up "public opinion" in coordination with Chris Patten's policy of confrontation with the Basic Law. Against such a backdrop, Chris Patten has gone increasingly further and promptly established ties with the KMT, while meeting the KMT Central Committee Standing Committee member as an exceptional case. This is by no means an accidental phenomenon and it has serious political implications.
According to the Taiwan press, upon his return to Taiwan, Hsu Sheng-fa said that the recent meeting "has put through the channel for official communication" and "from now on,