XN000022-1992-11-02 — Page 5

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1992

QUESTION:

I KNOW THAT SOME PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE MAKING OUT THAT THE REASON FOR THIS CHANGE IN APPROACH TO CHINA IS BASED ON AN EVALUATION BY BRITAIN THAT CHINA NOW, BECAUSE OF THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY IT'S BEEN POURING INTO HONG KONG, HAS AS MUCH OR MORE TO LOSE PROBABLY MORE ECONOMICALLY, BY DE-STABILISING HONG KONG OR MESSING THINGS UP, THAN BRITAIN DOES, THAT THIS IS A GAMBLE THAT BRITAIN HAS TAKEN AND IT'S DECIDED IT'S A GAMBLE WORTH TAKING, SIMPLY BECAUSE CHINA HAS MORE TO LOSE. ARE YOU TAKING THAT GAMBLE?

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GOVERNOR:

I DISAGREE WITH YOUR PREMISE. THE POLICY OF THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT IN THE UNITED KINGDOM TOWARDS HONG KONG WAS SET OUT VERY CLEARLY IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY'S ELECTION MANIFESTO AND THAT IS THE POLICY WHICH I AM SEEKING TO IMPLEMENT: A COMMITMENT TO WORKING FOR THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, A COMMITMENT TO NURTURING DEMOCRACY. I SUPPOSE WHERE THERE MAY HAVE

BEEN SOME DIFFERENCE IS IN THIS RESPECT:

THE UNITED KINGDOM GOVERNMENT, THE PRESENT SOVEREIGN POWER, HAS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS BEEN PRESSING THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWER TO ACCEPT THE CASE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF DIRECTLY ELECTED SEATS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I PROPOSED AN ALTERNATIVE TO THAT, WHICH I KNOW A NUMBER OF LIBERALS IN HONG KONG BELIEVE DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH, BUT IN MY VIEW, REPRESENTED THE BEST POSSIBLE POINT OF BALANCE IN THE COMMUNITY. BUT

DON'T ACCEPT THE PREMISE THAT UNITED KINGDOM POLICY HAS CHANGED, EITHER FUNDAMENTALLY OR AT ALL.

I

WHAT I'D ALSO DISAGREE WITH, IS THE ASSUMPTION THAT ANY

OF US ARE GAMBLING, EITHER CHINA OR THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITH THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, HONG KONG'S SUCCESS MATTERS ENORMOUSLY; IT MATTERS то THE REGION, IT MATTERS TO THE WORLD, AND OF COURSE IT MATTERS TO CHINA AS PART OF THE REGION AND AS THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWER. BUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE AND SUCCESS MATTERS ABOVE ALL TO THE SIX MILLION PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE, AND I WOULDN'T SEEK TO DOUBT OR DISPUTE THE CONCERN OF MY CHINESE COLLEAGUES ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. I HOPE I'LL BE ABLE TO PERSUADE THEM THAT THERE IS AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND STABILITY ON THE ONE HAND, AND ITS WAY OF LIFE ON THE OTHER. AND I HOPE THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THE PROPOSALS I'VE PUT FORWARD, AS I SAID IN MY SPEECH, ARE MORE RATHER THAN LESS LIKELY ΤΟ PROMOTE POLITICAL STABILITY. THAT'S WHAT I'LL CONTINUE TO ARGUE BUT I CERTAINLY WOULDN'T SEEK TO SUGGEST THAT ALL THOSE CHINESE OFFICIALS WITH WHOM I DISAGREED, WEREN'T ALSO COMMITTED TO SUCCESS IN HONG KONG.

THE ONLY POSTSCRIPT THAT I WOULD ADD, IS THAT I'M SURE THAT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WILL BE MUCH MORE INTERESTED IN RATIONAL DISCUSSION RATHER THAN THREATS OR BACKGROUND MUSIC. THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND DESERVE ΤΟ BE DISCUSSED IN A CALM AND RATIONAL AND CONSTRUCTIVE WAY.

TERRY NEALON (RTHK): MR PATTEN, ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT CRITICAL COMMENTS MADE LAST FRIDAY NIGHT BY SIR GORDON MCWHINNIE AT THE INSTITUTE OF ACCOUNTANTS ANNUAL DINNER, MAY BE AN INDICATION THAT LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORRIED ABOUT IT REGARDS AS CONFRONTATION WITH CHINA?

THE WHAT

/GOVERNOR: