XN000022-1992-08-21 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1992

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GOVERNOR LOOKS FORWARD TO REGULAR MEETINGS WITH NONA DIRECTOR

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SAID

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN,

TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT DURING HIS MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG BRANCH OF THE NEW CHINA NEWS AGENCY, MR ZHOU NAN, THEY HAD SET OUT A NUMBER OF THOUGHTS ABOUT THE BEST WAY IN WHICH THEY COULD REACH AGREEMENTS IN THE FUTURE.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES, MR PATTEN SAID HE WANTED TO HAVE AS REGULAR MEETINGS AS POSSIBLE, NOT ONLY WITH MR ZHOU NAN BUT WITH OTHER OFFICIALS OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

"THERE IS A GREAT DEAL FOR US TO TALK ABOUT; THERE IS A GREAT DEAL FOR US TO FIND AGREEMENT ON OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, HE SAID.

FI

"WELL, SO FAR AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE NCNA IS CONCERNED, I MADE IT CLEAR TO HIM YESTERDAY THAT I WAS VERY HAPPY TO SEE HIM WHENEVER HE WANTED TO SEE ME.**

"WHENEVER HE WISHES TO SEE ME ALL HE HAS TO DO IS TO PICK UP THE TELEPHONE AND I WILL BE DELIGHTED TO MEET HIM. AND SOMETIMES, I DARE SAY, I'LL BE PICKING UP THE TELEPHONE ON HIM AS WELL," MR PATTEN ADDED.

THE GOVERNOR SAID HE AND MR ZHOU NAN DID TALK ABOUT THE NEW

AIRPORT YESTERDAY.

"I'M SURE THAT WE BOTH WANT TO SEE THE PRESENT PROBLEMS RESOLVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WHAT MEETINGS LIKE YESTERDAY'S CAN CONTRIBUTE IS GREATER UNDERSTANDING ON BOTH SIDES OF OUR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS AND GREATER TRUST, IN A SENSIBLE, CO- OPERATIVE SET OF NEGOTIATIONS.

"YOU DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ABOUT EVERY SINGLE ISSUE BUT YOU TRY TO FIND A WAY THROUGH, YOU TRY TO FIND SENSIBLE ACCOMMODATIONS WHICH ARE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

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THE GOVERNOR WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO VISITING BEIJING BEFORE TOO LONG AND MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE OF THE STATE COUNCIL, MR LU PING AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS.

"WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT THE TRANSITION BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 AND BEYOND IS AS SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE, AND I WILL OF COURSE BE DOING ALL THAT I CAN TO ENSURE THAT HONG KONG IS EFFECTIVELY AND VIGOROUSLY COMPETENTLY GOVERNED WITH A GREAT DEAL OF PARTICIPATION BY COMMUNITY IN THAT PROCESS OF GOVERNMENT," MR PATTEN SAID.

AND

THE

SAID

COMMENTING ON THE CORPORATISATION OF RTHK, THE GOVERNOR MOST OF THE JOURNALISTS WHO SPOKE TO HIM THIS AFTERNOON APPEARED TO ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORT CORPORATISATION.

"I THINK MOST OF THE ARGUMENT WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT HAVE BEEN ABOUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH CORPORATISATION COULD HELP THE EFFICIENCY OF RTHK, HELP IT TO REDUCE COSTS AND REDUCE BUREAUCRACY, HE SAID.

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