XN000022-1992-12-01 — Page 2

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1992

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GOVERNOR BRIEFS LEGCO ON OVERSEAS VISITS

OF THE

THE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, BRIEFING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON HIS RECENT OVERSEAS VISITS TODAY (TUESDAY).

HONOURABLE MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A STATEMENT ON MY RECENT VISITS TO CANADA, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND JAPAN. I VISITED CANADA FROM THE 11TH-14TH NOVEMBER. THIS WAS THE FIRST OVERSEAS VISIT THAT I'VE MADE SINCE BECOMING GOVERNOR, APART FROM MY VISIT TO PEKING IN OCTOBER.

CANADA IS A TRUE AND STAUNCH FRIEND OF HONG KONG. OUR TRADE LINKS ACROSS THE OCEAN ARE ALREADY VERY SUBSTANTIAL AND THEY ARE GROWING ALL THE TIME. I WANTED TO MAKE CLEAR, PERSONALLY, HOW MUCH HONG KONG APPRECIATED CANADA'S SUPPORT AS A FRIEND AND AS A PARTNER. ON THE FIRST DAY OF MY VISIT TO CANADA, I OFFICIALLY CLOSED THE HONG KONG FESTIVAL IN CANADA, WHICH WAS ITSELF AN OUTSTANDING DEMONSTRATION OF THE STRONG LINKS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CANADA. I'D LIKE ΤΟ TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THE FESTIVAL SUCH A SUCCESS, ESPECIALLY THE SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE AND HIS TEAM, AND CANADA'S EXCELLENT COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG, MR JOHN HIGGINBOTHAM.

WHILE IN CANADA I HELD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER, BRIAN MULRONEY, AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, BARBARA MCDOUGALL. I TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE SECRETARY OF STATE ON DEVELOPMENTS IN HONG KONG.

DURING MY FOUR DAYS IN CANADA I MET MANY HONG KONG CANADIANS. I WAS DEEPLY IMPRESSED BY THE ADMIRATION AND GOODWILL THAT I FOUND FOR HONG KONG, AND FOR ITS PEOPLE, AND I SHOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, PUBLICLY, TO THANK THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR THE VERY WARM RECEPTION WHICH THEY EXTENDED.

I VISITED LONDON FROM THE 16TH-20TH NOVEMBER, WHERE I HAD MEETINGS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND OTHER MINISTERS AS WELL AS WITH OFFICIALS. I ALSO SPOKE AT A VERY SUCCESSFUL TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DINNER, ADDRESSED THE BRITISH HONG KONG PARLIAMENTARY GROUP, AND HAD MEETINGS WITH OTHER PARLIAMENTARIANS AND WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.

GOVERNMENT.

LET ME SAY A FEW WORDS ON THE POLICY OF THE BRITISH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT REMAINS FULLY COMMITTED то THE FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS, WHICH WAS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION OF 1984.

THAT POLICY WAS REAFFIRMED IN THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY'S MANIFESTO EARLIER THIS YEAR. IN CASE THERE SHOULD BE ANY DOUBT IN THE MINDS OF ANYONE IN THIS COUNCIL, OR OUTSIDE IT, LET ME CLEARLY STATE THIS AFTERNOON THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT STANDS FOURSQUARE BEHIND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. BOTH THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY REPEATED THAT SUPPORT PUBLICLY AND EXPLICITLY DURING MY VISIT.

THE BRITISH