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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1992
GOVT RESPONSES TO LI HOU ́S STATEMENT
IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS BY THE MEDIA FOR THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMENTS ON A STATEMENT MADE BY MR LI HOU IN A MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE CHINESE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS TODAY, THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS SECRETARY, MR MIKE HANSON MADE THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT:
"
MR LI HOU HAS EXPLAINED THE CHINESE POSITION, BUT I REGRET ΤΟ SAY THERE APPEARS TO BE NOTHING NEW IN HIS STATEMENT. THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS ARE ENTIRELY IN LINE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION THE BASIC LAW IS COMPLETELY SILENT ON THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS AND THERE WAS NO SECRET DEAL IN 1990.
IF THE CHINESE SIDE OR ANYONE ELSE HAS SPECIFIC PROPOSALS то PUT FORWARD FOR THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS, I HOPE THEY WILL DO SO. BUT THE CHINESE SIDE AND THE BRITISH SIDE HAVE AGREED THAT WHATEVER ARRANGEMENT WE PUT IN PLACE MUST COMPLY WITH THREE PRINCIPLES THEY MUST BE FAIR, THEY MUST BE OPEN AND THEY MUST COMMAND THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
MR PATTEN'S PROPOSALS ARE FAIR, ARE OPEN AND THEY COMMAND THE SUPPORT OF THE LARGE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE HOW MR LI HOU'S CONCLUDING REMARKS DO ANYTHING TO SECURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG."
WILL
PRINCE
TRANSCRIPT OF A SPEECH BY HRH THE
WALES AT THE BUSINESS LEADERS FORUM
OF
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LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I
IF I MAY SAY HOW PLEASED I AM TO HAVE THIS CHANCE OF BEING HERE TODAY. THE TROUBLE WITH THESE SORT OF OCCASIONS IS I NEVER KNOW WHAT KIND OF ENVIRONMENT I'M GOING TO FIND MYSELF IN FOR THESE FORUM GATHERINGS, AND THIS WAS NOT EXACTLY WHAT I WAS EXPECTING. HOWEVER, I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR ALL RIGHT.
THE OTHER THING, TOO, IS WHEN I WAS SITTING DOWN THERE LOOKING AT THIS PLATFORM, IT DID RATHER REMIND ME OF SOME KIND OF RATHER ESOTERIC POLITICAL RALLY, AND I HAVE A DREADFUL FEELING THAT YOU COULD ALREADY INVENT THE TABLOID HEADLINES TO GO WITH IT: "GREEN PRINCE IN NEW RED SHOCK" OR SOMETHING EQUALLY FATUOUS. AND THEY'RE ALL HERE TODAY SPECIALLY FOR IT.
BUT THE GREAT THING ABOUT IT IS OF COURSE, THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME PRACTICALLY EVER, WE'VE ACTUALLY GOT A LEVEL PLAYING-FIELD FOR THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN WHICH TO FUNCTION IN THIS PARTICULAR AREA, AND IT MAY BE THE ONLY PLACE WHERE THERE IS A LEVEL FIELD IN A SPORTS-HALL BUT WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
Twi
PLAYING-
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