WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993
1
TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR AT AIRPORT BEFORE DEPARTURE FOR BRUSSELS
THE
GOVERNOR : I'M AS YOU KNOW VISITING BOTH BRUSSELS AND LONDON IN NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. I'M GOING TO BRUSSELS FOR MEETINGS WITH THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, MR JACQUES DELORS; LEON BRITTAN, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION AND OTHER COMMISSION OFFICIALS. I'M ALSO MEETING THE PRESIDENT OF THE BUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE BELGIUM FOREIGN MINISTER. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THAT VISIT 19 ΤΟ DISCUSS TRADE MATTERS. WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TRADING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY. WE BOTH HAVE A SHARED INTEREST IN A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION TO THE GATT URUGUAY ROUND, AND I'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT IN PARTICULAR WITH EUROPEAN COMMUNITY OFFICIALS. I HOPE THAT WILL BE A USEFUL EXCHANGE IN THE INTEREST OF EXPORTERS IN HONG KONG, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY, BUT IN OTHER INDUSTRIES AS WELL.. I'M THEN MOVING ON TO LONDON, IN LONDON, I SHALL BE OF COURSE SEEING THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND OTHER MINISTERS. I'LL BE MAKING A NUMBER OF SPEECHES, INCLUDING ONE AT THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS ON HONG KONG, AND ANOTHER ON FREE TRADE, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR US HERE IN HONG KONG. I'LL BE TAKING PART IN A NUMBER OF OTHER DISCUSSIONS AND I HOPE THAT DURING THAT PERIOD IN LONDON AND THE UNITED KINGDOM WE'LL BE ABLE TO REVIEW THE PRESENT POSITION IN HONG KONG AND DEVELOP OUR STRATEGY FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. SO BEFORE I SEE YOU NEXT AT THIS AIRPORT, I'VE GOT A PRETTY FULL PROGRAMME.
Q : MR LI SAID TODAY THAT BRITAIN HAD SHUT THE DOOR OF TALKS. YOU ACCEPT THAT?
DO
GOVERNOR : I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, FIRST OF ALL, WHERE THE INITIATIVE FOR TALKS CAME FROM. WAS IT BRITAIN OR CHINA WHICH ARGUED FOR TALKS FROM OCTOBER ONWARDS ? IT WAS BRITAIN. WAS IT BRITAIN OR CHINA THAT PROPOSED TALKS IN FEBRUARY ? IT WAS BRITAIN.
FOR
THE WE
WAS IT BRITAIN OR CHINA THAT PROPOSED THAT TALKS SHOULD START ON THE FEBRUARY 24 ? IT WAS BRITAIN. WAS IT BRITAIN OR CHINA THAT PRODUCED A NEW PRECONDITION FOR TALKS, UNLIKE ANYTHING WE HAVE HAD FOR THE LAST DECADE ? IT WAS ALAS CHINA. WE ARE VERY HAPPY TALKS TO BEGIN. I WOULD BE HAPPY FOR TALKS TO BEGIN TOMORROW. BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD BE HAPPY FOR TALKS TO BEGIN TOMORROW. HAVE AGREED THE BASIS OF TALKS THAT PROPOSED ORIGINALLY BY CHINA, A BASIS WHICH DEPENDS ON THE JOINT DECLARATION, CONVERGENCE WITH THE BASIC LAW AND THE RELEVANT UNDERSTANDINGS AND AGREEMENTS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA. WE'VE AGREED THAT. SO LET THE TALKING BEGIN. WE CAN'T TALK INDEFINITELY ABOUT WHEN WE'LL TALK. LET'S START TALKING. THERE'S NO PROBLEM FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW.
: IF THERE ARE NO TALKS, ARE YOU DETERMINED TO PRESS PRESENT YOUR REFORM PROGRAMME TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY ?
GOVERNOR SHOULD MAKE LEGISLATIVE
AHEAD
AND
THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TOOK THE VIEW YESTERDAY THAT WE A DECISION ABOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BILL ΤΟ THE COUNCIL AFTER EASTER IN THE LIGHT OF ANY OTHER AND THAT MEANS EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS. BUT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF 1997. WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HONG KONG WHILE THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS TAKE PLACE, AND WE CAN'T DUCK OUT OF THAT RESPONSIBILITY,
DEVELOPMENTS
/THE SECRETALY