THURSDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1994
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GOVERNOR: NO. I THINK IT'S CALLED DEMOCRACY. SOME PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD DO MORE. SOME PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD DO LESS. SOME PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD BE MORE ASSERTIVE IN STANDING UP FOR HONG KONG'S INTERESTS. SOME PEOPLE SAY WE SHOULD BE LESS STRONG IN STANDING UP FOR HONG KONG S INTERESTS. I THINK WE'VE GOT IT ABOUT RIGHT. IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. THE WEALTH PER HEAD OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAS GONE UP BY SEVEN AND A HALF PER CENT. WE'VE SEEN OUR ECONOMY GROWING BY FIVE AND A HALF PER CENT A YEAR. WE'VE SEEN HUGE INCREASES IN EXPENDITURE ON EDUCATION, ON HOUSING, ON WELFARE AND OTHER PROGRAMMES, I AM CONTENT TO REST ON THAT RECORD.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WILL YOU SAY LADY THATCHER IS STILL FORMIDABLE?
GOVERNOR: I THINK LADY THATCHER WAS, IS AND REMAINS FORMIDABLE. WHEN LADY THATCHER ARRIVED LAST NIGHT AND WALKED INTO A LOBBY OF HER HOTEL, THERE WAS A SPONTANEOUS ROUND OF APPLAUSE, AS SOME OF YOU WILL HAVE NOTED, FROM THE HOTEL RESIDENTS. THERE AREN'T MANY POLITICAL LEADERS WHETHER ACTIVE OR PARTLY RETIRED, AROUND THE WORLD WHO WOULD GET THAT SORT OF REPUTATION AND I THINK IT'S A REFLECTION OF PEOPLE'S RECOGNITION OF THE FORMIDABLE CONTRIBUTION THAT SHE'S MADE то THE DEVELOPMENT OF FREE MARKETS AROUND THE WORLD AND FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD.
QUESTION: LADY THATCHER IS SUPPOSED TO... DECLARATION ON THIS VISIT?
GOVERNOR: NO, BUT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING TO HER THIS EVENING AND TOMORROW.
QUESTION: IS CHINA OBLIGED TO REPORT TO THE UN ABOUT HONG KONG'S HUMAN RIGHTS?
GOVERNOR: I'VE SAID EXACTLY WHAT OUR VIEW ON THE SITUATION UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION IS. THAT CHINA IS OBLIGED JUST AS WE'RE OBLIGED. I THINK THE JOINT DECLARATION IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ON THAT. WE'VE SAID THAT ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, WE'VE SAID IT WITHOUT BEING PROVOCATIVE, BUT IN OUR VIEW THERE ISN'T AN OUNCE OF DOUBT ON THE SUBJECT.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WILL THE BRITISH SIDE RESPOND TO THE ISSUE PROVISIONAL LEGISLATURE WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE IN JLG?
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GOVERNOR: NO, IT'S AN IDEA WHICH HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD BY A OF A WORKING PARTY OF THE NATIONAL PEOPLE'S CONGRESS, AND I HAVE NOTED THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON THE IDEA. ANY MORE?
QUESTION: THE LAND AUCTION APPARENTLY TODAY IN FANLING AND SHA TIN DID NOT APPEAR AS HIGH AS EXPECTED AND IS LOWER THAN EXPECTED. WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE THIS TO?
GOVERNOR: I HAVEN'T SEEN REPORTS OF THAT SO YOU HAVE TO ASK ME WHEN I HAVE. BUT THE BIDS, IF YOU LOOK OVER THE LAST MONTHS HAVE GONE UP AND DOWN, IN SOME CASES, NOT SURPRISINGLY, REFLECTING THE QUALITY OF THE SITE AND THE QUALITY OF THE LAND, AND THE POSSIBILITY FOR DEVELOPMENT ON IT. BUT I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THOSE PARTICULAR AUCTIONS то GIVE YOU A MORE INTELLIGENT AND INFORMED ANSWER. MANY APOLOGIES. ALL RIGHT? THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.
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