WANT WALE
RESTRICTED
STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT. HON. CHRISTOPHER PATIEN TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: 12 MARCH 1993
flest
I all apologise
ourable
Me
Laving to postpone my appearance before Yesterday afternoon at such short notice. Appreciate the inconvenience this will have caused
Honourable Members.
as Honourable Members know,
receive
We did,
CO
3 further communication from the Chinese side at about 1 o'clock; we had to consider this urgently during the course of yesterday afternoon, and I would not have been 11 a position to provide the Council with any more
information than I was last week.
am,
in however,
a position to make a
further
statement this afternoon.
Despite our hopes and our best endeavours right until thie afternoon, it has so far still not proved possible to resolve the differences between the British and Chinese gides that stand in the way of talks getting
we consider underway. I particularly regret this, as these differences could and should be resolved quickly. I realise that this news will cause considerable disappointment throughout the community. disappointment that I share, hence the efforts that have made to achieve the progress we would all like
It is a
we
to
see.
(-)
We have made clear since October that we
willing to talk without pre-conditions.
are
That remains
Our
position.