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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1992
TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN,
SPEAKING TO THE PRESS AT THE AIRPORT
BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR CANADA TODAY
GOVERNOR: GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. AS I THINK YOU KNOW, I AM GOING ON A TEN-DAY VISIT TO CANADA AND THE UNITED KINGDOM. IT'S AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT VISIT FOR HONG KONG FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FIRST OF ALL, IN CANADA I AM GOING TO THE GALA DINNER WHICH WILL CLOSE THE EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE AND IMPORTANT FESTIVAL WHICH WE HAVE HELD IN CANADA. IT HAS PROVED I THINK ANOTHER OF THE VERY STRONG LINKS BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITIES. I'M LOOKING FORWARD OF COURSE TO SEEING MANY MEMBERS OF THE HONG KONG COMMUNITY IN CANADA WHO ARE MAKING SUCH A CONTRIBUTION TO THEIR NEW HOME AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD AS WELL TO MY TALKS WITH PRIME MINISTER MULRONEY AND WITH THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SECRETARY BARBARA MCDOUGALL. SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TRIP FOR ME TO CANADA BECAUSE THE RELATIONS BETWEEN CANADA AND HONG KONG ARE SO STRONG AND SO IMPORTANT. I'LL THEN BE GOING ON TO THE UNITED KINGDOM. IN THE UNITED KINGDOM THE MOST IMPORTANT OF MY FUNCTIONS IS TO ADDRESS A DINNER OF THE TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AT WHICH THERE WILL BE VERY MANY FRIENDS OF HONG KONG. I'M ALSO UNDERTAKING A NUMBER OF OTHER SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS, I'M MEETING THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND OTHER MINISTERS AND TAKING PART IN A NUMBER OF TALKS AND DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HONG KONG. SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TRIP, AND THEN BACK FOR A FEW DAYS AND THEN I HAVE AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO JAPAN. I'LL SEE YOU WHEN I COME BACK.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN WHAT SORT OF ADVICE WILL YOU BE SEEKING WHEN MEET PRIME MINISTER MAJOR.
SO
YOU
IN
GOVERNOR: I'LL BE HAVING A GENERAL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POSITION HONG KONG, ABOUT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AND ABOUT OTHER MATTERS AS WELL. AS YOU KNOW, THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT IS WHOLLY BEHIND THE PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AND LIKE US THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAY THAT IF OTHERS HAVE PROPOSALS WHICH THEY THINK ARE BETTER THAN OURS THEY SHOULD PUT THEM FORWARD SO THAT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG CAN SEE WHETHER THERE ARE ANY VIABLE ALTERNATIVES. LIKE ME, THEY ALSO TAKE THE VIEW THAT ANY PROPOSALS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS HAVE ΤΟ BE FIRST OF ALL FAIR, SECONDLY OPEN AND THIRDLY ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.
QUESTION: CAN YOU TELL US WHAT YOU HAVE TALKED WITH MR ZHOU NAM YESTERDAY?
GOVERNOR: I HAD A 45-MINUTE DISCUSSION WITH MR ZHOU NAM. I DON'T THINK,
TO BE HONEST, THAT EITHER OF US WAS SURPRISED BY THE TERMS OF OUR DISCUSSION. I SAID TO MR ZHOU NAM ONCE AGAIN THAT IF THE CHINESE SIDE HAD ANY PROPOSALS TO PUT FORWARD FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS ON, FOR EXAMPLE, FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES OR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE OR ANY OTHER MATTERS, I THOUGHT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD WELCOME A CONSTRUCTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBATE WHICH SEEMED TO ME TO BE THE BEST WAY OF DEALING WITH ISSUES WITH THE SERIOUSNESS AND RATIONALITY THAT THEY DESERVE. AND NOW I HOPE THAT WHILE I'M AWAY THE DEBATE WILL CONTINUE IN A CALM AND CONSTRUCTIVE AND REASONABLE WAY, AND THAT IF ANYBODY DOES HAVE ANY BETTER PROPOSAL TO PUT FORWARD THEY WILL PUT THEM FORWARD EITHER DURING MY ABSENCE OR SHORTLY AFTER I GET BACK.
/QUESTION: DO