TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1994
1.
GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO PRESS AFTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING
* * *
GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING. WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS THIS MORNING ABOUT THE VERY THE BUDGET AND ABOUT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. WE CONSIDERED SATISFACTORY VOTES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST WEEK WHICH SAW THE COMPLETION OF WORK ON THE BILL WHICH DEALT WITH THE VOTING METHOD FOR DISTRICT BOARD, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS, WHICH DEALT WITH APPOINTED MEMBERS AND WHICH DEALT WITH OTHER MATTERS WHICH SHOULDN'T BE THE SUBJECTS OF VERY MUCH CONTROVERSY. WE ALSO CONSIDERED THE DOCUMENTS WHICH THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS AND WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OF PRC HAD PRODUCED ON THE TALKS WHICH UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T SUCCEED. AS YOU KNOW, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SET OUT AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TALKS LAST WEEK. LATE YESTERDAY, THE PRC GAVE THEIR VERSION. WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO STUDY THAT DOCUMENT CAREFULLY TO GIVE TT THE ATTENTION WHICH IT UNDOUBTEDLY DESERVES. AT FIRST SIGHT, IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THE DOCUMENT ADDS ANYTHING NEW TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY HEARD IN PREVIOUS LEAKS AND PREVIOUS ALLEGATIONS FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE FEEL WE NEED TO ADD LATER. I TO THE ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE SET OUT, WE'LL DO SO A LITTLE MUST SAY THAT MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT TO
Ι THINK CHARGE AND COUNTER-CHARGE WEEK AFTER WEEK THROUGH THE SPRING. THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LINE DRAWN AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE
CAN GET
ON WITH MORE POSITIVE ISSUES NOT LEAST CO-OPERATING WHERE WE
INVOLVED IN IN THE
INTEREST OF HONG KONG. SO, WE WON'T WANT TO GET THAT
THE ENDLESS TIC-FOR-TAC.
PEOPLE OF HONG
HAVE MATURE KONG JUDGMENT. THEY CAN READ THE TWO ACCOUNTS AND MAKE THEIR OWN MINDS UP AND I AM SURE THAT IS WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL WANT TO DO. SO, 1 REPEAT THAT AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED, WE'D LIKE TO GET ON WITH IS BUSINESS STARTING WITH
WHICH EVERYBODY THE BUDGET TOMORROW TO LOOKING
AND, I HOPE, MOVING INTO AREAS WHERE SERIOUS, PRACTICAL, CONSTRUCTIVE CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA AND CHINESE CAN AND SHOULD TAKE PLACE.
FORWARD
SEE
US
OFFICIALS
QUESTION: WHY DID YOU NOT RELEASE THE FULL MINUTES OF THE TALKS? CAN PEOPLE JUDGE IF THEY ONLY GET AN EDITED VERSION?
GOVERNOR: I THINK, AS YOU KNOW, LIKE OTHER DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHERS, THERE ISN'T AN AGREED MINUTE
EACH MEETING,
IF SO, EVEN YOU STILL HAVE
YOU
HOW
NO
TAKEN AFTER OTHER THE
AND
то
TO WERE
PRODUCE ALL
DOCUMENTATION,
IN INTERPRETATION DIFFERENCES
TWO DOCUMENTS ANALYSES, I THINK WHAT'S QUITE INTERESTING ABOUT THE THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IS THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK FROM ONE DOCUMENT
ARE THE THE OTHER AND BY AND LARGE, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, THE FACTS
AND SAME IN BOTH. BUT THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF DIFFERENCE IN OPINION JUDGMENT AND THAT IS WHERE THE ARGUMENT UNDOUBTEDLY FOCUSES. I THE SADNESS IS THAT AFTER 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS WHICH WE'VE PROPOSED, DIDN'T GET VERY FAR. BUT I REPEAT THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE US THE NEXT WEEKS EXCHANGING FURTHER ARGUMENTS AND DEBATING POINTS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. I'D LIKE TO GET ON WITH THE FUTURE.
THINK WE
SPEND ABOUT
QUESTION: SIR LEON BRITTAN IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TORY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE HE IS A NATIVE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, SO HE IS NOT SPEAKING AS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER?
/GOVERNOR: I