TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1993
35
MR. BERGER: Japan, despite its phenomenal
economic dealing with Hong Kong, has remained peculiarly
silent about the issues regarding the reversion of the
colony. What is your view on that?
GOVERNOR PATTEN; We all have our different
diplomatic styles. You're quite right to talk about the
close relationship between Japan and Hong Kong.
Japan has
been one of the largest investors in Hong Kong. And
Japan, like a number of other countries, has sensibly used
Hong Kong as an investment gateway into China.
Japan has, over the years, done us the great favor of appointing as consuls general in Hong Kong very distinguished diplomats. For example, the present vice foreign minister responsible for international economic
relations, Matsura-san, was consul general in Hong Kong.
The present consul general was the private secretary to
the last prime minister, Mr. Kaifu,
So the Japanese take Hong Kong very seriously at
a governmental level. I've had two visits to Japan since
I've been Governor myself, and they have both been
extremely successful and rewarding.
I'm sure that
privately the Japanese will have expressed their concerns and interests to the PRC, as they have expressed them to us and to the United Kingdom. But the Japanese haven't,
over the last decades, made a habit of up fronting with
diplomatic concerns, and I guess they're not going to
change.
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