XN000022-1993-05-04 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1993

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GOVERNOR'S PRESS STATEMENT IN WASHINGTON

FOLLOWING IS THE PRESS STATEMENT MADE BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, WASHINGTON, D.C. ON MONDAY (U.S. TIME):

GOVERNOR:

I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF VERY INTERESTING MEETINGS THIS AFTERNOON, FIRST OF ALL WITH THE TREASURY SECRETARY AND HERE WITH THE ACTING SECRETARY -- ACTING SECRETARY WHARTEN, AND WINSTON LORD, WHO IS WELL-KNOWN TO ALL OF US IN HONG KONG.

THEY WERE USEFUL MEETINGS. I WENT OVER MUCH OF THE GROUND THAT WE DISCUSSED SLIGHTLY MORE BRIEFLY THIS MORNING WITH THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE-PRESIDENT, SO IT'S BEEN A CONTINUATION OF THIS MORNING'S DISCUSSIONS AND LATER ON TODAY I'M GOING TO SEE SENATOR MITCHELL AND MOST OF THE REST OF MY VISITS WHILE I'M IN WASHINGTON WILL BE TO SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN, THOUGH I'VE STILL GOT A MEETING WITH MR RUBIN TO GO, OKAY?

QUESTION:

DO YOU THINK YOU'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA AFTER THE MEETING THIS AFTERNOON HOW THE ADMINISTRATION WILL FEEL ABOUT MFN THE WHOLE?

GOVERNOR:

+

ON

ON

I THINK I'D LIKE TO WAIT UNTIL I'VE HAD MY MEETINGS THE HILL AS WELL. OBVIOUSLY, I'M HEARING PART OF THE ARGUMENT BUT I'LL WANT TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE POLITICAL LEADERS ON THE HILL WHO HAVE BEEN MOST CLEARLY INVOLVED IN THE ARGUMENTS.

QUESTION:

ARE THEY INTERESTED IN THE HONG KONG SITUATION?

GOVERNOR:

THEY ARE EXTREMELY INTERESTED IN THE HONG KONG SITUATION, OTHERWISE I DOUBT WHETHER THEY WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME AS MUCH ACCESS AS I'VE HAD. I THINK THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE ABSOLUTELY EVERYBODY T COULD HAVE CONCEIVABLY WANTED TO SEE. CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR INTEREST.

THE

THAT'S ONE

IT'S A CONSEQUENCE, AS WELL, OF HOW CLOSE AND STRONG RELATIONSHIP IS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED STATES, SO I'M DELIGHTED WITH THE ARRANGEMENTS THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE HELPED TO MAKE FOR MY VISIT.

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN YOUR MEETING WITH SENATOR MITCHELL? IT WAS QUITE CLEAR LAST WEEK THAT HE DISAGREED WITH YOUR POSITION ON MEN AND HE MOVED THE BILL ON MFN, SO WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE IN THE MEETING WITH HIM?

GOVERNOR:

TO

WELL. YOU'VE STATED AT THE OUTSET WHAT YOU BELIEVE BR THE RESULT OF A MEETING I HAVEN'T YET HAD. AT THE VERY LEAST, PERHAPS HIS DISAGREEMENT WITH ME WILL BE EVEN BETTER INFORMED.

QUESTION!

(INAUDIBLE)

/GOVERNOR