XN000022-1992-03-23 — Page 14

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MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1992

GOVERNOR:

RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING, AS IT WERE, FROM THE JOINT- DECLARATION 1984, THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. I THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD THING, I WELCOME THAT, I WELCOME THAT CONTINUING INTEREST. THERE 19 ALSO A CONSIDERABLE UNITED STATES ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT HERE I THINK IT IS AT CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR ONLY, THERE ARE MORE AMERICAN CITIZENS HERE THAN THERE ARE UK CITIZENS. I'M TOLD IT DEPENDS SLIGHTLY ON THE SORT OF HOLIDAY PATTERNS, BUT IT SHOWS YOU JUST WHAT A LARGE AMERICAN PRESENCE THERE IS AND THERE IS A VERY BIG BUSINESS INVOLVEMENT. WE HAVE CLOSE ECONOMIC LINKS WITH THE UNITED STATES. 1 WELCOME THOSE TWO. MY OWN CONCEPT OF THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG IS THAT IT HAS TO BE AN INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CENTRE, INTERNATIONAL TRADE CENTRE, INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE; THAT IS THE WAY IT IS GOING TO SURVIVE, BE PROSPEROUS, BE VALUABLE TO CHINA. SO FOR ALL OF THOSE REASONS, I WELCOME THE INVOLVEMENT BY THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY. BUT IT IS ESSENTIALLY THIS: AT ONE LEVEL IT IS BROAD SUPPORT BY THE US GOVERNMENT, WHICH THERE HAS BEEN, FOR THE ARRANGEMENTS IN THE JOINT DECLARATION; AT THE NEXT LEVEL, THERE IS THE QUESTION OF THE ECONOMY AND IT IS ESSENTIALLY AN ECONOMIC MATTER – INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN HONG KONG THAT MATTERS. AND THERE ARE OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, VERY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES, PART ECONOMIC, PART POLITICAL, WHERE THE UNITED STATES CAN PLAY A ROLE WHICH IS EITHER VERY HELPFUL TO HONG KONG AND SOUTHERN CHINA, OR WHICH IS NOT HELPFUL. MEN STATUS FOR CHINA IS ONE OF THOSE, THAT AFFECTS US ENORMOUSLY, THE DECISIONS TAKEN IN CONGRESS AND BY THE PRESIDENT, AND IT AFFECTS SOUTHERN CHINA AND MOST OF CHINA BUT PARTICULARLY THE SOUTHERN DEVELOPING COASTAL PROVINCES VERY MUCH TOO. THERE AGAIN, I MEAN I MIGHT SAY THAT I WELCOME THE ATTITUDE WHICH HAS BEEN TAKEN BY MR BUSH, THE US PRESIDENT, IT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL TO THINGS THAT MATTER ENORMOUSLY TO THIS PLACE AND ITS FUTURE.

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, IF I COULD FOLLOW UP ON A PREVIOUS QUESTION. YOU JUST SAID THAT CHINESE LEADERS WERE WELCOME IN HONG KONG, WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT ON THE OTHER HAND FOR LEADERS FROM OTHER PLACES, INCLUDING EASTERN EUROPE, MONGOLIA AND TAIWAN, TO COME TO HONG KONG?

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I DON'T THINK IT IS VERY DIFFICULT.

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GOVERNOR:

I MEAN TAKE THE WORLD, IF I MIGHT - THAT SOUNDS A MODEST STATEMENT. WE HAVE A HUGE NUMBER OF LEADERS WHO COME HERE AN AWFUL LOT OF THEM COME ΙΝΤΟ MY OFFICE. WE HAVE A TRADITION IN HONG KONG - I'VE EMPHASISED THIS TO FUTURE VISITORS - NOBODY HAS TO PAY A COURTESY CALL ON THE GOVERNOR BUT IF THEY HAVE GOT BUSINESS THEY WANT TO DISCUSS, MY DOOR IS OPEN. AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD OPEN THAT DOOR AND COME AND TALK ABOUT REAL ISSUES. EASTERN EUROPE - WE HAVE BEEN LIBERALISING STEADILY OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND THAT IS A PROCESS WHICH WILL GO ON. I DON'T THINK, NOW, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE TO COME HERE FROM EASTERN EUROPE OR THE SOVIET UNION, PROVIDING THEY HAVE A STRAIGHTFORWARD BACKGROUND, IF I MIGHT PUT IT LIKE ᎢᎻᎪᎢ . YOU CRITICISED SOMEWHERE ELSE, I THINK, NOT JUST EASTERN EUROPE, YOU MENTIONED MONGOLIA? MONGOLIA NO PARTICULAR PROBLEM. WE HAD SOME VISITORS FROM MONGOLIA THE OTHER DAY HERE. TAIWAN NO PROBLEM FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE ON BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND THERE ARE TENS OR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WHO COME A YEAR. I THINK WE HAVE A MILLION VISITORS A YEAR FROM TAIWAN.

PEOPLE WHO ARE POLITICAL LEADERS IN TAIWAN, OF THE KUOMINTANG, THAT IS A PROBLEM, OR PEOPLE WHO COME HERE AS PART OF A POLITICAL OBJECTIVE, BECAUSE WE KEEP HONG KONG NEUTRAL IN DISPUTES BETWEEN TAIWAN AND THE MAINLAND OF CHINA. THINK THAT IS A VERY STRAIGHTFORWARD THING WHICH IS WELL UNDERSTOOD.

J

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MODERATOR:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

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