XN000022-1993-05-03 — Page 3

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MONDAY, MAY 3, 1993

GOVERNOR: I DIDN'T GET ANY IMPRESSION EITHER WAY. I THINK THAT THERE ARE, OBVIOUSLY, ARGUMENTS IN WASHINGTON ABOUT CONDITIONS OR EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE. I'LL BE IN A BETTER POSITION, I GUESS, TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT OF WHERE I THINK POLICY IS LIKELY TO LEAD AFTER I'VE HAD FURTHER DISCUSSIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION. I'M SEEING THE TREASURY SECRETARY, AND I'M VISITING THE STATE DEPARTMENT THIS AFTERNOON, AND ALSO AFTER I'VE TALKED TO CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS, LIKE SENATOR MITCHELL AND SPEAKER FOLEY.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, THE U.S. FOREIGN POLICY ACT LAYS OUT SOME VERY SPECIFIC, CLEAR AREAS OF STRONG U.S. INTEREST IN HONG KONG. IS YOUR MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT TODAY THE BEGINNING OF A PROCESS OF TURNING SOME OF THOSE STATEMENTS OF POLICY INTO FAST AGREEMENTS?

GOVERNOR: NO, IT'S NOT PART OF ANY PROCESS FOLLOWING FROM THE MCCONNELL ACT, USEFUL AS THAT IS AS AN EXPLICIT RECOGNITION OF THE TRADING AND ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED STATES.

THE MEETING WASN'T IN THE CONTEXT OF THE U.S.-HONG KONG ACT, BUT I THINK THE FACT THAT THE PRESIDENT, WHEN HE'S OBVIOUSLY GOT A LOT ELSE ON HIS AGENDA, GAVE ME SO MUCH OF HIS TIME, WITH THE VICE- PRESIDENT. I THINK THAT THE ACCESS THAT I'M GETTING AROUND WASHINGTON AS A WHOLE ARE REFLECTIONS OF THE FACT THAT THE UNITED STATES RECOGNISES ITS STRONG ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH HONG KONG AND CHINA, AND THAT THE UNITED STATES, WHILE KNOWING THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE JOINT DECLARATION IS A MATTER FOR BRITAIN AND CHINA, HAS THE SAME SORT OF INTEREST IN A SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME AS THE REST OF THE WORLD.

QUESTION: IN YOUR OPINION, HAS CHINA GONE FAR ENOUGH ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO HAVE MEN EXTENDED?

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GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT'S A MATTER WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO HAVE TO JUDGE FOR ITSELF. I BELIEVE, AND BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IT'S SOMETHING I SAID IN A SPEECH TO THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN HONG KONG A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND IT'S SOMETHING I INTEND SAYING IN SPEECHES HERE AS WELL -- I BELIEVE THAT ECONOMIC GROWTH AND FREE TRADE ARE TWO OF THE BEST WAYS OF SECURING PROGRESS AND SECURING AN IMPROVEMENT, NOT JUST IN PEOPLE'S STANDARD OF LIVING, BUT IN THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE AS WELL.

I FEEL THAT FREE TRADE CASTS LIGHT INTO DARK CORNERS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHILE I'LL BE ARGUING FOR IT, BOTH AS A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE AND AS A MATTER OF UTILITARIAN IMPORTANCE FOR HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, DID THE PRESIDENT SUPPORT YOUR POLITICAL

PROPOSAL?

/GOVERNOR: