7
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1993
NO
COMMUNITY IS GOING ΤΟ BE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE PRESERVATION OF THE RULE OF LAW THAN THIS ONE AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED REMINDING OF THE IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RIGHTS. BUT I THINK THAT MANY MEMBERS OF THIS COMMUNITY SHARE MY VIEW THAT THE USE OF TRADE WEAPONS IS NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO PROMOTE AND PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS. A NUMBER OF OTHER COMMUNITIES, I THINK, TAKE THE SAME VIEW. THEY HAVE ESTABLISHED A DIALOGUE ON HUMAN RIGHTS WITH THE PRC, FOR EXAMPLE THAT IS WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BY AUSTRALIA, IT'S WHAT'S BEEN DONE BY FRANCE, IT'S WHAT'S BEEN DONE BY THE UNITED KINGDOM. I THINK, MYSELF, THAT DIALOGUE RATHER THAN USING A DOUBLE-EDGED TRADE WEAPON IS THE RIGHT WAY TO PROCEED. BECAUSE I SAY THAT AND BECAUSE I THINK THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT 1 HAVE ANY LESS REGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS THAN SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS ΤΟ WHOM THE HONOURABLE MEMBER REFERRED, BUT I TAKE A DIFFERENT VIEW ABOUT THE BEST WAY OF ARGUING FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.
WAS JEFFERSON WHO REFERRED
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LET ME ADD ONE OTHER POINT. I THINK IT I THINK IT IS CARVED ON HIS MONUMENT JEFFERSON WHO REFERRED TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT FOR POLITICAL STRUCTURES. I DON'T DOUBT AT ALL THAT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND FREE TRADE AND MORE OPEN ECONOMIES IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIVING OF INDIVIDUALS DEFINED IN THE BROADEST WAY AND THAT IS WHY I AM IN FAVOUR OF PROMOTING ECONOMIC GROWTH AND FREE TRADE RATHER THAN LIMITING THEM.
SECONDLY,
INTERNATIONALISATION.
I
THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ASTONISHING IF THE GOVERNOR OR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE TENTH LARGEST TRADING COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD DIDN'T WISH ΤΟ VISIT FROM TIME TO TIME THE MAIN TRADING PARTNERS OF THAT ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT TRADING COMMUNITY, I SHALL CONTINUE TO DO THAT, I SHALL
CONTINUE ΤΟ ARGUE THE CASE FOR HONG KONG IN OTHER COUNTRIES AND I PLACE THIS BET NOW WITH COMPLETE CONFIDENCE, THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE SAR WILL IN DUE COURSE DO EXACTLY THE SAME IF SHE OR HE IS DOING ΠΕΡ OR HIS JOB PROPERLY. THAT IS PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AND I SHALL CONTINUE TO CARRY IT OUT. I THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS A MARKED 11 FFERENCE BETWEEN SOME OF THE RATHER ROUTINE PROPAGANDA ATTACKS ON MY VISIT AND THE SENSIBLE AND ACCURATE REMARKS MADE BY VICE PREMIER ZHU RONGJI WHO SAID I HAD BEEN LOBBYING ON MFN IN WASHINGTON IN HONG KONG'S INTEREST, A REMARK WHICH IS ACCURATE AND PRECISE.
MAJORITY OF
THIRDLY, I WOULD, I GUESS, NEED ALL THE SILVER-TONGUED ELOQUENCE OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER TO PERSUADE THAT THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS WHICH BELIEVES IN CONDITIONALITY TO COME TO SOME OTHER CONCLUSION. BUT WHATEVER I MAY HAVE FAILED ΤΟ DO OR WHOEVER I MAY HAVE FAILED TO CONVINCE, I AM PRETTY CERTAIN THAT I WAS ABLE LAST WEEK TO ENSURE THAT THE IMPACT ON HONG KONG OF NON-RENEWAL OF MPN OR HEAVY CONDITIONALITY ON MEN WILL BE A CONSIDERABLE FACTOR WHEN THE US ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS MAKE UP THEIR MINDS ON THE WAY FORWARD. AND I NOTE THAT AFTER MY VISIT, SOME OF THOSE I SPOKE TO, INCLUDING FOR EXAMPLE REPRESENTATIVE PELOSI, MADE THAT POINT VERY OPENLY. I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE HAD SOME SUCCESS IN ENSURING THAT OUR POSITION IS ON THE AGENDA, BUT I CANNOT, HAND-ON-HEART, TELL THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONVINCE ALL THOSE AMERICAN CONGRESSMEN AND SENATORS WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT WEAPONS PROLIFERATION AND HUMAN RIGHTS AND ACCESS TO CHINA'S MARKET THAT THEY SHOULD PURSUE THOSE INTERESTS IN OTHER WAYS THAN THROUGH THE MFN CHANNEL.
/MR CHIM