WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1993
CLINTON, WHO
ALL THAT CHANGED WITH THE ELECTION OF PRESIDENT HAD MADE HIS POSITION ON CHINA VERY CLEAR DURING HIS ELECTION CAMPAIGN. IT WAS NECESSARY TO REVIEW OUR POLICY AND STRATEGY. WE CAME ΤΟ THE CONCLUSION THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT UNCONDITIONAL MFN RENEWAL FOR SEVERAL REASONS. THE FIRST IS THAT MFN IS THE NORMAL CONDITION FOR INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND IS NOT A PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. SECONDLY
SECONDLY, WE BELIEVE THAT TRADE ISSUES SHOULD NOT BE POLITICISED AND THAT MFN IS NOT THE RIGHT TOOL TO ACHIEVE OTHER POLICY OBJECTIVES, REGARDLESS OF THE MERITS OR OTHERWISE OF THOSE OBJECTIVES. OF COURSE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CARES ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS. WE BELIEVE HOWEVER THAT MPN SHOULD NOT BE USED AS A LEVERAGE THAT ISSUE. THIRDLY, BECAUSE CHINA HAS CONSISTENTLY REJECTED THE ATTACHING OF CONDITIONS TO HER MFN STATUS, A CONDITIONAL RENEWAL COULD BE TAKEN BY BUSINESSMEN AND INVESTORS AS AN ADVANCE NOTICE то PHASE OUT OPERATIONS AND INVESTMENTS IN CHINA, THEREBY DAMAGING HONG KONG'S ECONOMY EVEN BEFORE MFN HAS BEEN REVOKED. FOURTHLY, THE U.S. BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS AGAIN LOBBYING VIGOROUSLY FOR UNCONDITIONAL MFN THIS YEAR IN SPITE OF ALL THAT THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION HAS SAID IN FAVOUR OF ATTACHING CONDITIONS SINCE ASSUMING OFFICE. GIVEN HONG KONG'S VERY LIMITED INFLUENCE IN WASHINGTON, IT IS OBVIOUSLY NECESSARY FOR US ΤΟ RETAIN THE SUPPORT OF THE U.S. BUSINESS COALITION AND ACT IN CONCERT WITH IT. FIFTHLY, STRONG SUPPORT FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL IS REQUIRED TO COUNTERBALANCE THE EFFORTS OF THOSE WHO ARE ARGUING EITHER FOR REVOCATION OF MFN OR FOR STRINGENT CONDITIONS TO BE IMPOSED.
MR PRESIDENT I MAY NOT BE AS CLEVER AS I THINK I AM, BUT I AM CERTAINLY NOT AS NAIVE NOR AS UNREALISTIC AS SOME PEOPLE MAY THINK I AM. WE HAVE GONE INTO THIS YEAR'S LOBBYING EXERCISE WITH OUR EYES OPEN. WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE IMMENSE ODDS AGAINST UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL. WE HAVE KNOWN ALL ALONG THAT PRESIDENT CLINTON IS EXTREMELY UNLIKELY ΤΟ FOLLOW THE POLICY OF HIS PREDECESSOR. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT IF WE BELIEVE SOMETHING TO BE RIGHT, AND GOOD FOR HONG KONG, THEN WE SHOULD AIM FOR IT DESPITE THE ODDS AND STRIVE FOR IT CEASELESSLY UNTIL THE OUTCOME IS KNOWN.
MR
HONG KONG'S GREAT DEAL
PRESIDENT, IT IS AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND THAT LOBBYING EFFORTS THIS YEAR SHOULD BE SEEN AND JUDGED. A HAS BEEN DONE, BOTH BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND BY HONG KONG'S BUSINESS SECTOR. THOSE EFFORTS HAVE BEEN WELL PUBLICISED AND, WITH ONE EXCEPTION, I WILL NOT TAKE UP HONOURABLE MEMBERS' TIME BY REPEATING THEM HERE. THOSE EFFORTS CULMINATED IN THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES LAST WEEK. BEFORE TOUCHING ON THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT, I WOULD LIKE ONE COMMENT TO BE PLACED ON RECORD, IN VIEW OF THE MISUNDERSTANDING THAT HAS APPARENTLY ARISEN IN CERTAIN QUARTERS. MY COMMENT IS THAT, AS FAR AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED, ALL OUR LOBBYING EFFORTS ARE MADE ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG'S INTERESTS ALONE. WE RECOGNISE THAT THE MFN ISSUE IS PRIMARILY A BILATERAL MATTER BETWEEN THE U.S. AND CHINA AND WE HAVE NO RIGHT AND NO WISH ΤΟ INTERFERE. BUT THE POSSIBLE DAMAGE TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY, WHICH IS PROPORTIONALLY GREATER THAN THAT WHICH MFN REVOCATION MIGHT CAUSE ΤΟ CHINA'S OWN ECONOMY, IS FOR US A COMPELLING STORY WHICH NEEDS TOLD, AND TOLD IN THE MOST FORCEFUL TERMS.
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BE
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