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SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1993
THAT'S A UTILITARIAN ARGUMENT FOR OUR CONCERN ABOUT LIMITATIONS ON MFN. I HAPPEN, AND THIS IS MY FIRST AND CONCEIVABLY NOT LAST, CONFESSION OF THE DAY, I HAPPEN TO BE IDEOLOGICAL ABOUT FREE TRADE. IT'S ABOUT THE ONLY THING THAT I THINK I AM IDEOLOGICAL ABOUT.
INTO
PARTLY BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT IT'S LIKE RIDING A BICYCLE. UNLESS YOU'RE IDEOLOGICAL ON FREE TRADE, YOU KEEP ON FALLING OFF PROTECTIONIST PUDDLES. AND IT IS WHOLLY APPROPRIATE THAT THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE THIS AS AN IDEE FIXE.
AFTER ALL, HONG KONG IS THE BEST POSSIBLE EXAMPLE THAT ADAM SMITH WORKS. THE BEST POSSIBLE EXAMPLE OF AN OPEN MARKET ECONOMY, PRACTISING AND BENEFITING FROM FREE TRADE PRINCIPLES. SO I HAVE BEEN SETTING OUT IN WASHINGTON AND IN NEW YORK, MY ARGUMENTS ON PRINCIPLE AGAINST EXCEPT IN THE MOST EXTREME CIRCUMSTANCES, POLITICISING TRADE.
ALLOWING POLITICAL LEADERS TO CONFUSE WHAT IS ECONOMICS ON THE ONE HAND AND WHAT IS POLITICS ON THE OTHER. I THINK IT RARELY WORKS. I THINK THAT TRADE IS THE BEST WAY OF EXERCISING INFLUENCE AND INCREASING UNDERSTANDING. AND WHICH IS DIFFICULT FOR ME TO SAY AS NOISILY AS I WOULD LIKE WHEN I AM TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN CHINA, I HAVE NO DOUBT WHATSOEVER THAT TRADE, ECONOMIC GROWTH, INCREASES IN PERSONAL AFFLUENCE, RETTER EDUCATION, MORE TRAVEL, INCREASING THE NUMBER OF CELLULAR TELEPHONES, MORE SATELLITE TV RECEIVERS, THAT ALL THOSE THINGS HAVE POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES.
AND PEOPLE WHO KID THEMSELVES THAT THERE AREN'T POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES, HAVE A RUDE AWAKENING IN STORE. SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN USED TO ME OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS FOR USING MFN RENEWAL AS A POLITICAL WEAPON IN NEGOTIATING WITH CHINA, SOME OF THOSE ARGUMENTS ARE FAMILIAR TO YOU,
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CONCERN AND UNDERSTANDABLE CONCERN ABOUT WEAPONS PROLIFERATION. CONCERN ABOUT SPECIFIC TRADE ISSUES. CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. EACH OF THOSE CASES, I THINK THAT THERE ARE EXAMPLES. OBVIOUSLY TRUE ABOUT ARMS PROLIFERATION.
THOSE WON'T
IT'S VERY
THERE ARE SPECIFIC WAYS IN WHICH THE UNITED STATES CAN ADDRESS PROBLEMS IN ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. I JUST HOPE THAT IT USE MFN TO DO SO. AND I DO LOOK FORWARD AS I'M SURE THE ADMINISTRATION DOES, TO THE DAY WHEN MPN RENEWAL ISN'T THE CENTERPOINT OF THE UNITED STATES RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA.
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SAY ONE OTHER THING. 1'M SURE YOU'LL WANT TO PURSUB SOMB OF THESE QUESTIONS, SOME OF THESE ISSUES IN OUR Q&A. SAY ONE OTHER THING. I BELIEVE AND BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY THAT AFTER 1997, THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT IN DETERMINING AND SECURING HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY, STABILITY AND WAY OF LIFE IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES.
I SAY THAT AS THE 28TH BRITISH GOVERNOR, WITH A GOOD DEAL OF FEELING. WHILE I CAME TO WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK TO TALK AS MUCH AS I COULD ABOUT FREE TRADE, ABOUT MFN RENEWAL AND SO ON, Ι FOUND MYSELF INEVITABLY ANSWERING ALL THE QUESTIONS ABOUT POLITICAL ISSUES AND I GUESS IT'S PERHAPS THE CASE, BUT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I'VE ENJOYED AS MUCH ACCESS AS I HAVE IS BECAUSE OF MY STARRING ROLE IN THE LEXICON OF VILLAINRY. VILLAINY.
NCNA'S
/SO I'D