2 -
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2, 1994
VICE-
ALL
AM IT
GOVERNOR: IT' WAS A RE-STATEMENT OF WHAT EVERYBODY KNOWS HAS BEEN AMERICAN POLICY FOR A VERY CONSIDERABLE TIME. PRESIDENT CLINTON, PRESIDENT GORE AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE WARREN CHRISTOPHER WERE SAYING THIS WEEK WHAT PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID TO ME LAST MAY. SO, I SURE THAT IT'S OF CONSIDERABLE INTEREST TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG BUT DOES NOT COME AS A SURPRISE. HONG KONG HAS A HUGE NUMBER OF INTERESTED FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD. WHY?
PLACE. BECAUSE HONG KONG IS A UNIQUE HONG KONG IS A VERY SPECIAL PLACE AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE HONG KONG CONTINUE TO SUCCEED.
QUESTION: 80, WILL YOU GO TO U.S. TO LOBBY FOR THE MFN STATUS GRANTED TO CHINA?
GOVERNOR: THAT
WE
YOU ARE STILL CONSIDERING THAT. WHAT I CAN PROMISE I
CONTINUE TO WILL
ARGUE THE CASE VERY VIGOROUSLY UNCONDITIONAL MFN RENEWAL..
IS
FOR
QUESTION:
MORE DO YOU THINK THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WILL EXERT ON CHINA OVER THE HONG KONG ISSUE?
PRESSURE
BY
THINK,
I GOVERNOR: THE U.S. GOVERNMENT IS STATING THE VIEW WHICH IS,
THAT MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH IS SHARED
HONG KONG'S THE CONTINUING SUCCESS IS IN THE WHOLE WORLD'S INTEREST AS WELL AS IN REGION'S INTEREST, AS WELL AS IN CHINA'S INTEREST. AND WHAT THE US PRESIDENT HAS ALSO MADE CLEAR IS THAT HONG KONG'S WAYS OF LIFE ARE
ARE FREEDOM,
VALUES, THE RULE OF LAW AND AN
IS EXECUTIVE WHICH ANSWERABLE TO ACCREDITABLE FREELY ELECTED LEGISLATURE. ALL THOSE
ARE PART AND PARCEL OF HONG KONG'S SUCCESS THINGS
AND HONG KONG'S
STABILITY.
THOSE ARE THE SORT OF REASONS WHY WE ARE SO AND SUCCESSFUL AND EVERYBODY WANTS TO SEE THAT PROSPEROUS
CONTINUING THING IN AND YOU WILL HEAR VERY MANY PEOPLE SAYING EXACTLY THE SAME HONG KONG AND OUTSIDE HONG KONG OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
ALL OF
QUESTION:
WILL GO
THE ECONOMIC FORECAST OF THIS BUDGET WILL, ON
1997. WAS THERE ANY SORT OF PAST
CONSULTATION YOU MAY CONSIDER?
EXPENDITURE,
WITH
CHINA
+ L L
GOVERNOR:
WHAT THAT
IS NO. WE ARE NOT SAYING IN THIS FORECASTS THAT THIS MUST HAPPEN AFTER 1997/98 BUT AS PRUDENT MANAGERS, WE ARE SAYING ON PRESENT TRENDS GIVEN THE PREDICTED DEVELOPMENTS AND EXPENDITURE AND TAXATION, THIS IS WHAT THE FIGURES SHOULD LOOK LIKE. OF COURSE, WILL BE FOR THE GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997 TO DETERMINE ITS POLICIES. IS ABSOLUTE CLEAR. BUT I VERY MUCH HOPE AND EXPECT THAT CONSIDER TO RUN THE ECONOMY AS SUCCESSFULLY AS THE ECONOMY BEEN RUN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.
IT
IT
THAT
THAT WILL HAS
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