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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1994
GOVERNOR RENEWS COMMITMENT TO JOINT DECLARATION
THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (MONDAY) RENEWS COMMITMENT TO THE JOINT DECLARATION AND COMMITMENT TO CO- OPERATION IN IMPLEMENTING THE TREATY.
ADDRESSING THE OPENING CEREMONY OF THE WORLD PRESIDENTS' ORGANISATION TODAY WHICH IS ALSO THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SIGNING OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, THE GOVERNOR REITERATED THE BRITISH SIDE'S COMMITMENT TO A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE FOR HONG KONG.
HE SAID THE JOINT DECLARATION HAD SERVED HONG KONG WELL IN THE FIRST DECADE OF ITS LIFE.
MR PATTEN NOTED THAT ONE OF THE AGREEMENT'S CENTRAL AIMS WAS TO PRESERVE HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY AND IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, THE TERRITORY HAD COME ON IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
"TAKING THOSE YARDSTICKS, AND HONG KONG IS PROSPEROUS AND MORE STABLE THAN IT WAS A DECADE AGO."
UNDOUBTEDLY MORE
HOWEVER, DESPITE ALL THIS SUCCESS AND PROGRESS, THE LAST 10 YEARS HAVE NOT BEEN WITHOUT THEIR TENSIONS, THE GOVERNOR ADDED.
ARRANGEMENTS
HE SAID THE ARGUMENT OVER PROPOSALS FOR ELECTORAL FOR 1994 AND 1995 WAS NOW CLOSED AND OVER AND THAT it WAS TIME ΤΟ MOVE ON.
THE MAIN AREA WHERE HONG KONG SIMPLY HAS TO MOVE FASTER 18 IN THE WORK OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP (JLG), HE ADDED.
"WE ARE BEGINNING TO RUN OUT OF TIME, AND THE LAST MEETING REGISTERED VERY LITTLE PROGRESS INDEED.
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"WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER, HE SAID.
MR PATTEN SAID THE ISSUES WERE COMPLICATED BUT NOT POLITICAL, FOR THE MOST PART.
"THEY ARE, HOWEVER, IMPORTANT, AND CHINA AND THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION WILL SUFFER IF WE DO NOT GET THEM RESOLVED.
"WE STAND READY TO WORK ROUND THE CLOCK TO DO SO, AND LOOK
TO CHINESE COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME. WE NEED TO APPROACH THE WORK
OUR WITH IMAGINATION AND PATIENCE," HE SAID.
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THE GOVERNOR CITED THE FREEDOM OF TRAVEL, THE RE-ENACTMENT LAWS AND THE BILATERAL TREATY NEGOTIATIONS AS SOME EXAMPLES OF THE KIND OF SUBJECTS THE JLG WAS DEALING WITH.
ON THE GREAT
"AND ABOVE ALL, WE NEED TO MOVE AHEAD RAPIDLY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS SO CRUCIAL FOR OUR FUTURE PROSPERITY, STARTING WITH OUR MUCH-NEEDED NEW AIRPORT.
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NOTING THAT HONG KONG HAD ALREADY MOVED AHEAD WITH THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "WE COULD MOVE FASTER STILL WITH AN AGREEMENT ON FINANCING."
/MR PATTEN