L
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1994
THE IT
SECOND, I AM SORRY THAT IN STANDING UP FOR THE PRINCIPLES IN JOINT DECLARATION, WE HAD TWO YEARS OF ARGUMENT WITH CHINA NOT HAS TO BE SAID, THE FIRST ARGUMENT SINCE 1989 OR EVEN SINCE 1984. I SAY WITH ALL THE FORCE I CAN MUSTER, THAT THERE IS NO POINT IN US CONTINUING THOSE ARGUMENTS. WE HAVE DISAGREED. THAT'S A GREAT PITY. BUT THE TIME HAS COME TO CLOSE THAT CHAPTER AND TO MOVE ON. THAT IS WHAT WE INTEND TO TRY TO DO. WE HOLD OUT A HAND OF CO-OPERATION. WE DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO INVOLVE UNDERMINING THE AUTHORITY OF OUR EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT, NOR DO WE THINK IT NEED INVOLVE UNDERMINING OUR INSTITUTIONS IN HONG KONG, OR OUR WAY OF DOING THINGS. WE HAVE PROPOSED SPECIFIC MEASURES TO IMPROVE CO-OPERATION AND TO SMOOTH THE TRANSITION. MEASURES WHICH WE HOPE WILL SPEED UP THE WORK HEAVENS, NEED TO DO SO - IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. MEASURES WHICH WILL REASSURE PEOPLE ABOUT THE FUTURE AND AVOID ANY FALL IN CONFIDENCE IN THE NEXT TWO AND A HALF YEARS. MEASURES WHICH WILL GET THE SAR GOVERNMENT OFF TO A FLYING START. THE MEASURES WE HAVE SUGGESTED NOT EXCLUSIVE. IF CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE OTHER IDEAS, I HOPE WILL PUT THEM FORWARD. WE DO NOT HAVE A MONOPOLY OF WISDOM ON THIS SUBJECT. WE ARE OPEN-MINDED - GENUINELY OPEN-MINDED AND KEEN TO DO BUSINESS. THAT IS THE COMMON SENSE WAY FORWARD. I HOPE WE CAN TAKE IT. I AM SURE THAT WE ALL WANT TO FEEL THAT WE ARE DRIVING FORWARD ALONG A HIGHWAY, NOT BACKING UP A CUL-DE-SAC.
WE
-
ARE
THEY
THIRD, OUR ECONOMIC SUCCESS AND CHINA'S ARE CLOSELY RELATED. WE HAVE BENEFITED HUGELY FROM CHINA'S ECONOMIC REVOLUTION. SO HAS THE WHOLE WORLD. AND WE'VE ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO IT. WE ARE CHINA'S LARGEST SOURCE OF FOREIGN INVESTMENT - WE ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT TWO THIRDS OF THE TOTAL.
-
SO CHINA'S SUCCESS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY. AND WE WILL CONTINUE BRITAIN, I MIGHT ADD, AS WELL AS HONG KONG TO ARGUE FOR GIVING CHINA THE PLACE IN THE WORLD ECONOMY THAT HER ECONOMIC STRENGTH TODAY AND HER POTENTIAL TOMORROW WHOLLY JUSTIFY. WE ARGUED THE CASE FOR MFN RENEWAL WITHOUT STRINGS. AND WE HAD THE CREDIBILITY THAT ENSURED WERE HEARD. TODAY, WE WANT TO SEE CHINA AS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION. NOTHING LESS WILL DO.
WE
THE
FOURTH, I INTEND TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO SEE THAT HONG KONG IS IN THE BEST POSSIBLE SHAPE WHEN WE HAND OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR ITS DESTINY IN 1997.
WE WILL ENSURE THAT OUR FINANCES CONTINUE ΤΟ BE CAREFULLY LOOKED AFTER AND THAT WE HAVE A BIG SURPLUS TO HAND OVER A SURPLUS WHICH SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO THINK WE SHOULD APOLOGISE FOR NOW PREDICTING AT A MUCH, MUCH HIGHER LEVEL THAN WE ORIGINALLY ANTICIPATED. Ι MUST SAY THAT AS MISTAKES GO, THAT ONE APPEARS TO ME TO BE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
/WE'LL DO