SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 1994
GOVERNOR: I THINK THE FIRST THING THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL WOULD BE A RESPONSE TO THE INQUIRIES MADE BY THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN PEKING FOR FURTHER INFORMATION AND DETAILS ABOUT MR XI YANG'S CASE, I THINK YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE IS A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MR XI YANG AND OTHERS WHOSE CASES WE'VE TAKEN UP VIGOROUSLY IN THE PAST. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE PURSUE MR XI YANG'S CASE BECAUSE HE WAS A HONG KONG RESIDENT AND WORKING FOR A HONG KONG NEWSPAPER. BUT HE IS A CHINESE CITIZEN WHICH MEANS THAT THERE IS CERTAIN CONSTRAINT IN WHAT WE CAN DO IN INTERNATIONAL LAW INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE WHICH WOULDN'T APPLY IF HE WAS A CITIZEN OF HONG KONG.
+
+
+
BETTER So,
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, IN ORDER TO HELP MR XI YANG, WOULD IT BE IF YOU WOULD PUT THE XI YANG CASE ON THE INTERNATIONAL AGENDA? IF WHAT SPECIFIC ACTION CAN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DO TO
?
GOVERNOR: I THINK THE ACTIONS THAT I'VE SUGGESTED ARE THE RIGHT WAY TO PROCEED. BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO CONSIDER MATTERS WITH MR XI YANG'S EMPLOYER, WITH THE JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION AND WITH OTHERS FROM DAY TO DAY. BUT I DON'T WANT TO LEAP INTO THE ISSUE WITH BOTH FEET UNTIL WE'VE ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHED OUR FIRST STAGE OBJECTIVE WHICH SHOULD BE, FIRST OF ALL,
TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MR
MR XI YANG'S CASE; SECONDLY, TO GET ACCESS TO MR XI YANG FOR HIS FAMILY AND EMPLOYERS AND LEGAL ADVISERS. I MEAN, THAT IS NOT A VERY SUBSTANTIAL REQUEST ΤΟ MAKE. IT SHOULDN'T BE DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO REACT VERY POSITIVELY TO IT AND I HOPE THEY WILL BECAUSE THEY MUST RECOGNISE THAT THERE IS A DEGREE OF CONCERN ABOUT THE XI YANG CASE HERE WHICH, I THINK, RAISES A LOT OF ANXIETIES, A LOT OF QUESTION MARKS, A LOT OF DOUBTS IN PEOPLE'S MINDS ABOUT THE FUTURE. IF EVER, ANYTHING CONFIRMS THE IMPORTANCE OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG STANDING UP FOR THE JOINT DECLARATION, STANDING UP FOR OUR VALUES AND FREEDOMS, THEN THIS CASE IS IT AND I HOPE THERE AREN'T OTHERS LIKE IT. ONE MORE QUESTION.
ON
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, AFTER YOUR VISIT TO LONDON, HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE THE PRESENT SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP AND ALSO ESPECIALLY THE HONG KONG CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS?
TO
GOVERNOR: WE VERY MUCH HOPE, AS I'VE SAID BEFORE, THAT OUR FAILURE AGREE ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS HERE IN HONG KONG WON'T AFFECT THE WIDER INTERESTS OF HONG KONG AND WON'T BE ALLOWED TO AFFECT ISSUES CONCERNING HONG KONG'S LIVELIHOOD, HONG KONG'S WELL-BEING, HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY WHICH ARE, OF COURSE, INTIMATELY CONNECTED TO CHINA'S FUTURE PROSPERITY. WE ALSO HOPE THAT SINO BRITISH RELATIONS WILL PROSPER IN THE FUTURE AS IT'S IN THE INTEREST OF BOTH COUNTRIES AND THEY DO. BUT THAT'S NOT OBVIOUSLY PRIMARY MY RESPONSIBILITY. BUT SO FAR AS HONG KONG IS CONCERNED, I REPEAT WHAT I'VE SAID MANY TIMES BEFORE, THAT WHILE WE WOULD HAVE VERY MUCH LIKED TO HAVE REACHED AN AGREEMENT, UNFORTUNATELY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO SO. BUT WE SHOULD TRY TO COOPERATE AND AGREE ON ALL THE OTHER THINGS WHICH AFFECT HONG KONG'S FUTURE. I THINK THAT STEADILY OVER THE COMING MONTHS, YOU'LL SEE THAT HAPPENING. I THINK THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF SELF-CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG ABOUT OUR ABILITY TO COPE WITH OUR OWN AFFAIRS, TO MANAGE OUR AFFAIRS WITHOUT THREATENING ANYONE ELSE. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE BONUSES, PERHAPS, THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT LOOKING TO THE FUTURE, THAT SELF- CONFIDENCE WOULD BE GREATLY STRENGTHENED, THAT SELF-CONFIDENCE WOULD BE EXPRESSED, I THINK, WITH MUCH MORE ENTHUSIASM IF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG COULD HAVE REASSURANCES ABOUT MATTERS LIKE THE XI YANG THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.
CASE.
0
/4