WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1993
7
IS BUT WHAT I PLAINLY CAN'T DO, JONATHAN, WHEN I MAKE A SPEECH,
AND TO MAKE A SPEECH ABOUT THE TO CONCEDE THE POINT OF PRINCIPLE. SORT OF MODEST CONDITIONALITY WHICH HONG KONG MIGHT FIND BEARABLE, THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE AS A NEGOTIATING TACTIC, AND IT WOULD RAISE, I THINK, DOUBTS IN THE MINDS OF ALL BUT THE MOST SOPHISTICATED MEMBERS OF AN AUDIENCE LISTENING TO ME.
SO ONE, THE ADMINISTRATION HAS KNOWN ALL ALONG WHAT ARGUMENTS
TWO, I HAVE WEEK ON MFN. WE WOULD BE PUTTING THIS
MADE IT CONSISTENTLY CLEAR THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE UNITED STATES IS DOING, IS SAYING ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. WHO, MORE THAN PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS? BUT THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT THE REMOVAL OF MFN OR THE STRICT HEDGING ABOUT OF MFN WITH SUBSTANTIAL CONDITIONS IS THE RIGHT WAY TO APPROACH THAT ISSUE.
IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULT CORNERS BOTH THESE MATTERS, YOU'RE DEAD RIGHT.
TO TURN ON
LAST ONE. WHO'S PUT THEIR HAND UP MOST?
QUESTION: OKAY. IN YESTERDAY'S PRESS CONFERENCE, NANCY PELOSI, THE CONGRESSWOMAN, MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT SHE THINKS THAT YOU NOT THAT'S GOING TO CHANGE THE MIND OF THE CONGRESS FOR CONDITIONING MFN," THE FIRST THING, AND THEN THE SECOND THING SHE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT EVEN THOUGH WITHOUT THE MFN, IF THERE IS SOME TRADE PACKAGE WHICH CREATES SOME RETALIATION FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CHINA, FOR EXAMPLE
FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE IN
SOME OTHER SUPER 301 OR WHATEVER,
THAT, TERMS WE CAN STILL KEEP HONG KONG, EVEN THOUGH WITHOUT MFN.
SO WHAT DO YOU FEEL I THINK YOU COULD JUST INTERPRET THE OTHER WAY. ABOUT THIS COMMENT?
WELL, GOVERNOR :
AS I SAID EARLIER, IF I HAD CHANGED REPRESENTATIVE PELOSI'S MIND, I THINK YOU ALL WOULD HAVE ALL HAVE BEEN HUGELY IMPRESSED BY MY SILVER-TONGUED CAPACITY.
WHAT I HOPE I HAVE DONE WITH REPRESENTATIVE PELOSI AND SENATOR MITCHELL AND OTHERS, AND WHAT I HOPE I WILL BE DOING AT MEETINGS WITH FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES IN BOTH THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE SENATE TODAY, IS ENSURING THAT ON THE TABLE, WHEN THEY CONSIDER THESE MATTERS IN THE COMING 3 OR 4 WEEKS, THERE IS THE IMPACT ON HONG AND I HOPE THAT KONG OF WHATEVER DECISION THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE. THAT WILL HOPE TO AFFECT THE DECISION AND MODERATE WHATEVER DECISION THEY MAKE. I COULDN'T EXPECT TO DO MORE THAN THAT, BUT I HOPE WE'VE DONE THAT REASONABLY EFFECTIVELY.
SECONDLY, YOUR ENTIRELY RIGHT TO SAY THAT THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES, AS WELL AS MFN, WHICH CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON HONG KONG'S SUPER 301 ADDED, FOR ECONOMIC AND TRADING POSITION AND ON CHINA'S. EXAMPLE, AS A BOBBLE ON A CHRISTMAS TREE TO FAST TRACK AUTHORITY ON THE URUGUAY ROUND. THAT CAN HAVE AN EFFECT ON HONG KONG, AS WELL. SO I HOPE THAT WHAT I HAVE SAID ABOUT HONG KONG ON MFN INFUSES WHAT IS SAID AND THOUGHT ABOUT ON OTHER SUBJECTS.
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