MONDAY, MAY 3, 1993
GOVERNOR: WHEN I SEE BOTH SENATOR MITCHELL AND NANCY PELOSI, I'LL BE PUTTING THE SAME ARGUMENTS AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE THAT I'VE PUT THIS MORNING. I'LL ALSO, OF COURSE, BE POINTING OUT SOME OF YOUR PARTICULAR PROBLEMS WITH THE LEGISLATION THAT SENATOR MITCHELL AND NANCY PELOSI HAVE PUT THEIR NAMES TO, I THOUGHT THERE WAS AN INTERESTING EDITORIAL IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL WHICH DREW ATTENTION TO SOME OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THAT LEGISLATION. WHAT, FOR EXAMPLE, DO YOU CALL A BIKE THAT'S MANUFACTURED IN CHINA? IS THAT A PUBLIC SECTOR ARTIFACT, OR IS IT SOMETHING MANUFACTURED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR? THESE ARE THE SORT OF PROBLEMS WHICH I THINK THE PROPOSED LEGISLATION THROWS UP. LAST ONE.
QUESTION: DID YOU FIND THE PRESIDENT'S ENDORSEMENT OF YOUR POLITICAL REFORM PROPOSALS USEFUL AND HELPFUL?
GOVERNOR: I THINK THE PRESIDENT HAS, AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, EVERY TIME HE'S REFERRED TO THEM, GONE OUT OF HIS WAYS TO RECOGNISE THAT THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE AT THE MOMENT TO TRY TO RESOLVE SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS ABOUT THE 1994 AND 1995 ELECTIONS ARE DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN SOVEREIGN POWERS, AND THE RESOLUTION WILL BE A MATTER FOR CHINA AND BRITAIΪΝ. THAT SAID, BECAUSE HONG KONG IS SUCH A PRICELESS INTERNATIONAL ASSET, IT'S HARDLY SURPRISING THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE WORLD SHOULD BE INTERESTED IN THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS. IT'S ALSO HARDLY SURPRISING THAT THE LEADER OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST DEMOCRACY SHOULD REGARD MORE DEMOCRACY RATHER THAN LESS DEMOCRACY AS AN ACCEPTABLE OUTCOME FOR OUR DISCUSSIONS IN HONG KONG.
SO I DON'T THINK THE PRESIDENT'S POSITION IS SURPRISING, BUT HIS INTEREST IN HONG KONG, HIS CONCERN TO SEE A STRONG ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE REGION AND THE UNITED STATES, HIS COMMITMENT TO THAT ARE ALL THINGS WHICH ARE EXTREMELY WELCOME, AND I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT HE SPENT SO MUCH TIME THIS MORNING DISCUSSING MFN AND HONG KONG IS THE BEST POSSIBLE INDICATION OF HIS OWN PERSONAL CONCERN AND INTEREST. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
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