ليا
WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1993
AS HONOURABLE
MEMBERS ACCOUNT
THIS BRINGS ME TO THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT. ARE AWARE, THE GOVERNOR WILL BE HERE TOMORROW TO GIVE HIS OWN OF HIS VISIT AND IT IS FOR HIM TO GIVE HIS OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE OUTCOME OF THAT VISIT. HOWEVER, SOME COMMENTS IN THE MEDIA IN RECENT DAYS HAVE PROMPTED ME TO MAKE A FEW POINTS ON THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT, IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM INCLUDED IN THE RECORD OF THIS DEBATE. AT THE RISK OF BEING LABELLED A SYCOPHANT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS ACHIEVED HIS OBJECTIVE. WHAT WAS THAT OBJECTIVE? IT WAS TO PUT HONG KONG'S ARGUMENTS FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL TO AMERICAN DECISION- MAKERS AND LEGISLATORS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS, SO AS TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S POSITION WOULD BE A FACTOR, HOWEVER SMALL, IN THE CONSIDERATION OF U.S. POLICY ON CHINA'S MEN STATUS.
GIVEN THIS OBJECTIVE, THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT WAS EXTREMELY WELL- TIMED. THE MFN DEBATE WITHIN THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION HAD GONE PAST THE LEVEL OF DEPUTY SECRETARIES AND WAS MAKING ITS WAY UPWARDS TOWARDS THE TOP, AGAINST A DEADLINE OF 3 JUNE BY WHICH PRESIDENT CLINTON MUST ANNOUNCE HIS DECISION. TWO BILLS SEEKING TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS HAD BEEN INTRODUCED IN CONGRESS. THE GOVERNOR WAS ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS IN BOTH THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION AND THE U.S. CONGRESS 50 AS TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG'S POSITION WOULD BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT.
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A SUBSIDIARY OBJECTIVE OF THE GOVERNOR WAS TO PUT ACROSS TO HIS INTERLOCUTORS HIS FIRM POSITION THAT HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT SHOULD NOT BE LINKED WITH CHINA'S MFN STATUS. IN THE GOVERNOR'S OWN WORDS,
"YOU CANNOT HELP HONG KONG BY DAMAGING ITS FCONOMY'
THE U.S.
ADMINISTRATION UNDERTOOK TO TAKE HONG KONG'S POSITION FULLY INTO ACCOUNT IN REACHING THEIR FINAL DECISION. WHERE CONGRESS IS CONCERNED, THE NEW YORK TIMES OF 9MAY QUOTED CONGRESSWOMAN NANCY PELOSI, AUTHOR OF ONE OF THE TWO CONDITIONALITY BILLS, AS SAYING THAT SHE HAD BEEN PERSUADED BY THE GOVERNOR TO ADJUST HER PROPOSAL BY ELIMINATING ITS REFERENCES TO HONG KONG, TWO FINAL POINTS ON THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT, MR PRESIDENT. I REJECT CATEGORICALLY AND IN THE STRONGEST TERMS POSSIBLE THE COMMENT THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD RIDICULED CHINA DURING HIS STAY I
IN THE UNITED STATES. THE GOVERNOR OF COURSE DID NOTHING TO RIDICULE CHINA IN ANY WAY. ON THE CONTRARY, IN STANDING UP FOR HONG KONG'S OWN ECONOMIC INTERESTS, HE SPENT MUCH OF HIS TIME IN THE U.S. ARGUING FORCEFULLY FOR THE RENEWAL OF CHINA'S MFN STATUS. ONE HONOURABLE MEMBER QUOTED SOME OF THE GOVERNOR'S COMMENTS WHEN HE WAS IN WASHINGTON AND CAME TO THE ERRONEOUS CONCLUSION THAT AFTER HIS MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON, THE GOVERNOR HAD REFERRED ONLY то THE PRESIDENT'S UNSOLICITED SUPPORT OF HIS CONSTITUTIONAL PROPOSAL AND DID NOT REFER TO THE MFN ISSUE AT ALL. THIS IS NOT TRUE. THIS MISUNDERSTANDING MIGHT HAVE BEEN ARISEN BECAUSE THE MEDIA WAS SELECTIVE IN ITS REPORTING OF THE GOVERNOR'S REMARKS, THE GOVERNOR'S PUBLIC COMMENTS IN THE U.S. ARE ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. BUT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS OF COURSE NOT IN A POSITION TO CONTROL WHICH OF HIS REMARKS ARE REPORTED BY THE MEDIA AND WHICH ARE NOT. THE GOVERNOR WENT TO WASHINGTON FOR THE STATED PURPOSE OF LOBBYING FOR THE UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN. THIS PURPOSE WAS FULLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY CARRIED OUT BY THE GOVERNOR. AND THAT TOO WAS ON THE PUBLIC RECORD. AS I HAVE EARLIER REMINDED HONOURABLE MEMBERS THE GOVERNOR WILL COME TO THIS CHAMBER TOMORROW TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS VISIT AND HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE A CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE GOVERNOR PERSONALLY.
WILL
/SOME HONOURABLE