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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1993
GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING SHEK LEI
CATHOLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL
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GOVERNOR:
I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO THIS EXCELLENT SCHOOL AGAIN TO TAKE PART IN THEIR CELEBRATION OF CHRISTMAS, I FIRST VISITED THE SCHOOL BY ACCIDENT. WHEN I WAS WAITING FOR MY HELICOPTER, I POPPED INTO THE SCHOOL AND WAS INVITED IN AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED BY EVERYTHING I SAW. I CAME BACK HERE TO A RELIGIOUS SERVICE LAST CHRISTMAS WITH MY SISTER AND FAMILY AND I AM VERY PLEASED TO BE HERE ONCE MORE TODAY. I'D JUST LIKE TO WISH EVERYBODY IN HONG KONG A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A PEACEFUL CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR FULL, I HOPE, OF CONFIDENCE AND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE. EVERYBODY, I KNOW,
WILL WANT TO SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE WITH THEIR FAMILY, WITH THEIR DEAR ONES AT CHRISTMAS AND AT THE CHINESE NEW YEAR AND I HOPE THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE GET A CHANCE OF DOING THAT.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, HAS THE BRITISH SIDE APPROACHED FOREIGN MINISTRY
FOR THE TALKS SINCE LAST WEEK?
THE CHINESE
GOVERNOR: OUR LAST APPROACH WAS LAST WEEK BUT ALL THAT HAPPENED ON THAT OCCASION, AS I SAID YESTERDAY AND THE DAY BEFORE AND AT THE END OF LAST WEEK, ALL THAT HAPPENED ON THOSE OCCASIONS WAS THAT ON THAT OCCASION, WE WERE REFERRED TO THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SPOKESMAN.
QUESTION: SIR, ARE YOU GOING BACK TO LONDON IN MID-JANUARY TO DISCUSS WITH MR HURD WHICH BILL, ORIGINAL BILL OR THE AMENDMENT BILL YOU GOING TO TAKE FOR THE SECOND PHASE OF THE LEGISLATION?
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GOVERNOR : I AM GOING BACK TOWARDS THE END OF JANUARY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF GIVING EVIDENCE TO
TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE. THEY'VE TAKEN EVIDENCE FROM MANY PEOPLE INCLUDING LEGAL ADVISERS AND THEY ARE TAKING EVIDENCE FROM ME AND FROM THE FOREIGN SECRETARY IN JANUARY. I AM GOING BACK FOR THAT MEETING AND I AM SURE THAT I'LL TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHILE I'M THERE, OF MEETING PRIME MINISTER AND SENIOR MINISTERS AND I AM SURE THEY WILL WANT TO DISCUSS HONG KONG AND RELATED ISSUES.
QUESTION: I KNOW THAT YOU ARE MAKING THE POLICY FOR THE MFN NEXT YEAR BY YOURSELF, SO WHAT NEW STRATEGY ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE TO LOBBY THE UNITED STATES?
GOVERNOR: NO, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED HOW WE CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY LOBBY ON MFN NEXT YEAR. BUT YOU CAN REST ASSURED THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND, I HOPE,
MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WILL BE LOBBYING ENERGETICALLY FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL OF MFN. I THINK IT'S GENERALLY RECOGNISED THAT THE TRIP THAT I MADE TO WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS A HELP IN GETTING OUR ARGUMENTS ACROSS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE THAT TRADE AND POLITICS SHOULDN'T BE MIXED UP, A POINT WHICH PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN WAS PUTTING TO PRESIDENT CLINTON HIMSELF. BUT WE HAVEN'T YET DECIDED HOW MOST EFFECTIVELY TO LOBBY THIS YEAR IN CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE DECISION TAKEN BY THE PRESIDENT EARLIER THIS YEAR.
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