WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1994
TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S PRESS CONFERENCE
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FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN'S PRESS CONFERENCE THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON:
QUESTION:
IS THERE REALLY ENOUGH IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS ΤΟ CONVINCE CHINA YOU'RE SINCERE ABOUT IMPROVING RELATIONS?
GOVERNOR:
I SAID IN MY SPEECH THAT SINCERITY DOESN'T MEAN THAT ONE PARTY ALWAYS HAS TO AGREE WITH THE OTHER AND I POINTED OUT WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE SAID BEFORE THAT CO-OPERATION ISN'T A ONE-WAY STREET. I THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL RECOGNISE THAT IN A COMMONSENSE WAY WE'VE HELD OUT A HAND AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL HOPE THAT THE CHINESE OFFICIALS HOLD OUT A HAND TOO. WHAT'S AT STAKE IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR. WHAT' 'S AT STAKE IS THE FUTURE WELL-BEING AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG AND WE DO HAVE TO MAKE AN EFFORT TO SECURE THOSE OBJECTIVES. SO I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE WILL HAVE OVER THE WEEKS AND MONTHS AHEAD, A POSITIVE AND SINCERE AND CO-OPERATIVE RESPONSE FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS. AND I THINK THAT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WHO SET OUT MANY OF THESE IDEAS IN HIS MEETING WITH VICE-PREMIER QIAN, REGARDED THE MEETING HE HAD WITH THE VICE-PREMIER AS BEING EXTREMELY CONSTRUCTIVE AND UNRHETORICAL.
FOLLOW-UP QUESTION:
JUST то FOLLOW UP, WOULD YOU CALL IT A CONCILIATORY RATHER THAN A CONFRONTATIONAL POLICY ADDRESS?
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GOVERNOR:
I THOUGHT IT WAS BUT THEN I'M BIASED, AIN'T I? - I THOUGHT IT WAS SENSIBLE. AND I THINK IT IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE WANTED AND EXPECTED: FULL OF PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ENSURING THAT THE TRANSITION IN '97 WAS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. LET ME GIVE YOU AN ANALOGY. WHEN THERE'S A CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON THERE'S A TRANSITIONAL TEAM; THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM BOTH THE INCUMBENT ADMINISTRATION AND THOSE WHO ARE COMING IN TO ENSURE THAT THINGS GO AS SMOOTHLY AND WELL AS POSSIBLE. NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING WHICH IS MUCH MORE CONSIDERABLE AS A CHANGE THAN THAT AND WE'VE GOT THEREFORE TO DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO SMOOTH OVER THE ROUGH EDGES.
GOVERNOR:
WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE OF ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON THERE IS A TRANSITIONAL TEAM, THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM BOTH THE INCUMBENT ADMINISTRATION AND THOSE WHO ARE COMING IN TO ENSURE THAT THINGS GO SMOOTHLY AND AS WELL AS POSSIBLE. NOW, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING WHICH IS MUCH MORE CONSIDERABLE AS A CHANGE THAN THAT AND WE'VE GOT THEREFORE TO DO ALL WE CAN TO SMOOTH OVER THE ROUGH EDGES.
QUESTION: CREATION
MR PATTEN, THE PWC - AS YOU WOULD CALL IT CHINA'S WHAT RIGHT DO THESE PEOPLE HAVE TO DECIDE THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG AS YOU SAID IN YOUR SPEECH GIVEN BY PARTICIPATING IN THE JLG DISCUSSIONS AND SECONDLY, HOW WOULD THAT ACTUALLY SPEED UP THE WORK OF THE JLG?
/GOVERNOR:
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