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MONDAY, MAY 3, 1993
GOVERNOR: YOU HEARD WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID DURING THE PHOTO CALL BEFORE OUR DISCUSSION, I REPEAT, THAT THE PRESIDENT RECOGNISES THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS AT THE MOMENT ARE A MATTER PRINCIPALLY TO BE RESOLVED BETWEEN THE SOVEREIGN POWERS, BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA, AND THE LONG-TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. BUT HE ALSO, LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD, WANTS TO SEE THOSE MATTERS RESOLVED SUCCESSFULLY.
QUESTION: GOVERNOR, THE LEVI STRAUSS CORPORATION ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY THAT IT WAS GOING TO PULL OUT, STOP INVESTING FURTHER, AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO BEGIN THE GRADUAL WITHDRAWAL OF ITS INVESTMENTS IN CHINA BECAUSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS. ARE YOU DISTRESSED BY THIS, AND PERHAPS SEE IT AS THE BEGINNING OF A TREND?
GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT'S A MATTER FOR CHINESE OFFICIALS TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF AND TO DEAL WITH, AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO APPEAR TO ACT AS A SPOKESMAN FOR THE PRC.
QUESTION: BUT SURELY, IF AMERICAN COMPANIES OF THAT SIZE START PULLING OUT, SIR, IT COULD BE THE START OF A PROBLEM FOR HONG KONG.
GOVERNOR: I'M SURE THAT IT'S A POINT THAT CHINA WILL WANT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF, AND I'M SURE IT'S A POINT THAT BUSINESS LEADERS IN HONG KONG WILL WANT TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF.
QUESTION: IN ADDITION TO ASKING FOR UNCONDITIONAL MFN RENEWAL, AND IF YOU CAN ASSUME THAT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE POSSIBLE, HAVE LIKE A FALL BACK POSITION IN THAT THE CONDITIONS SHOULD BE AS DO YOU
MILD AS POSSIBLE,
POSSIBLE, THAT THEY CAN BE MET BY THE CHINESE, OR THAT HONG KONG CAN LIVE WITH, AT LEAST? WOULD YOU HAVE ARGUED THAT POINT AS WELL?
GOVERNOR: WHAT I WAS STATING TODAY WAS MY BROAD INTEREST IN MFN RENEWAL, AND I NEVER THINK IT'S SENSIBLE TO ASSUME THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACHIEVE YOUR MAIN OBJECTIVE. IF IT WAS THE CASE THAT MFN WAS ONLY RENEWED WITH CONDITIONS, OF COURSE
COURSE I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE CONDITIONS DIDN'T HAVE TOO SEVERE AN IMPACT ON THE HONG KONG ECONOMY, AND I WOULD ALSO HOPE THAT THOSE EXPECTATIONS OR CONDITIONS ACHIEVED THEIR OBJECTIVE. BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT ME TO DO OTHER THAN MAKE A PITCH FOR MFN RENEWAL, FULL STOP.
LAST QUESTION.
QUESTION:
(INAUDIBLE) TO NANCY PELOSI TONIGHT,
SIR?
SIR? WILL YOU
SEE HER?
/GOVERNOR: