XN000022-1992-11-25 — Page 25

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1992

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HK AND JAPAN ARE GOOD FRIENDS: GOVERNOR

COMMITMENT

HONG KONG AND JAPAN ARE GOOD FRIENDS WITH A SHARED

ALL TO AN OPEN ECONOMY, AN OPEN WORLD ECONOMY AND OPEN TRADE BETWEEN

THE NATIONS,

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

"AND THAT'S GOING TO BE AN EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT CAUSE FOR US ALL TO ARGUE FOR IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD, HE ADDED.

SPEAKING

FOR BEEN

TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE

HAD MR PATTEN SAID HE LOOKED FORWARD TO THE VISIT WHICH TOKYO, PLANNED SOME TIME AGO.

"MY PREDECESSOR HAD BEEN PLANNING TO ATTEND THE MEETING OF THE HONG

TAKES BUSINESS CO-OPERATION COMMITTEE KONG-JAPAN

WHICH

PLACE EVERY OTHER YEAR IN TOKYO, AND PART OF THE REASON FOR MY VISIT IS TO ATTEND A MEETING OF THAT COMMITTEE WHICH HAS PLAYED A VERY IMPORTANT KONG PART IN BRINGING TOGETHER THE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG AND JAPAN," THE GOVERNOR SAID.

ASKED IF HE WOULD BE SEEKING FURTHER INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL FOR HIS POLITICAL REFORMS, MR PATTEN SAID: "I THINK THAT JAPAN, LIKE OTHER COUNTRIES, RECOGNISES THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS PRIMARILY A MATTER FOR PEKING, FOR LONDON AND FOR HONG KONG."

"AND

LIKE OTHER NATIONS, JAPAN WOULDN'T WANT TO INTERFERE THAT, BUT HONG KONG HAS AN INTERNATIONAL

IT'S REPUTATION;

THAT CAPITAL AND THEREFORE IT'S NOT SURPRISING INTERNATIONAL

HE ADDED. ARE INTERESTED IN OUR SUCCESS AND IN OUR DEVELOPMENT,

IN

AN

OTHERS

"WHAT I'M AWARE OF IS THAT DECISIONS ON THE FUTURE ELECTORAL

FOR ARRANGEMENTS

HONG KONG WILL HAVE TO BE MADE BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THAT'S TRUE UNDER THE EXISTING ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS AND LETTERS

TT HE ADDED. PATENT; IT'S TRUE UNDER ANNEX TWO OF THE BASIC LAW,

1995 THOSE

"I'M UNDER AN OBLIGATION TO PUT FORWARD PROPOSALS FOR THE ELECTIONS, BECAUSE AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE BASIC LAW IS SILENT ON

I'VE PUT PLACE. MATTERS AND THERE AREN'T EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS IN FORWARD PROPOSALS,

**THERE ARE ONE OR TWO OTHER PROPOSALS WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT A FORWARD BY INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS, I VERY MUCH WELCOME DEBATE ABOUT THE BEST WAY FORWARD, HE SAID.

H

++

"THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION FIRST MONTHS OF NEXT YEAR AND IT WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO DO SO BASIS OF PROPOSALS THAT ARE ON THE TABLE. IT WON'T BE ABLE ACCOUNT OF VACUUMS, MR PATTEN SAID.

IN

THE

ON

THE

ΤΟ

TAKE

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