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MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1994
MR PATTEN POINTED OUT THAT WHEN BRITAIN AND CHINA COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO THE JOINT DECLARATION, THEY PLEDGED TO UPHOLD THE CHINESE CONCEPT OF TWO SYSTEMS IN ONE COUNTRY; OF HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG AND A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY FOR HONG KONG,
"THEY PLEDGED TO UPHOLD HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE, AS WELL AS ITS PROSPERITY AND STABILITY, HE SAID.
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HE SAID HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY UNDERPINNED ITS WAY OF LIFE, BUT HONG KONG'S WAY OF LIFE ALSO HELPED CREATE ITS PROSPERITY,
HE MADE IT CLEAR THAT AS HONG KONG HAD GROWN IN PROSPERITY, IT HAD NOT REPRESENTED A THREAT TO ANYBODY, LEAST OF ALL CHINA.
SAID.
INDEED.
"IF ANYTHING, THE OPPOSITE IS THE CASE, HE SAID.
HONG KONG IS MORE VALUABLE TO CHINA NOW THAN IT WAS IN 1984, HE
"AT 23 PER CENT OF CHINA'S GNP, IT'S A VERY CONSIDERABLE
ASSET
"AND AS CHINA'S ECONOMIC REVOLUTION CONTINUES, HONG KONG IS PROVIDING THE SKILLS, THE FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND THE CONTACTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET PLACE AS WELL AS THE LEADING OUTLET FOR CHINA'S EXPORTS, HE SAID.
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MR PATTEN SAID: "IN ALL THESE FIELDS, ON THE JLG AND ACROSS THE BORDER, WE ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO RESOLVE THE MANY ISSUES ON WHICH THEY CAN ONLY PROCEED BY AGREEMENT."
THE GOVERNOR BELIEVED THAT NONE OF THESE ISSUES WAS INHERENTLY IMPOSSIBLE.
ALL SHOULD BE EASY TO RESOLVE IF THEY COULD ONLY BE ADDRESSED PURELY ON THEIR MERITS, HE SAID.
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