XN000022-1993-05-05 — Page 3

WEDNESDAY, MAY 5, 1993

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AGAIN, I THINK IF I WASN'T DOING THAT, I'D BE FALLING DOWN ON MY JOB. SO I THINK THAT PUTTING HONG KONG'S CASE HERE THIS WEEK IN WASHINGTON AND NEW YORK IS IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG, IS IMPORTANT FOR THE REGIONAL ECONOMY. AND I'VE SAID ALREADY THIS WEEK AND WILL CONTINUE TO SAY THAT IN MY VIEW ALMOST THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN SECURING THE LONG-TERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HONG KONG IS A GOOD AND CONSTRUCTIVE AND OPEN RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR TRIP IN WASHINGTON, DC? IS IT IS A FAILURE OR A SUCCESS? BECAUSE THOSE WHO SUPPORT THE VIEW STILL SUPPORT THE VIEW, AND THOSE WHO DOESN'T STILL DOESN'T. AND YOU ARE HERE, BUT YOU MAKE NO DIFFERENCE.

GOVERNOR: FIRST OF ALL, I THINK THAT THE ACCESS THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME WHICH HAS BEEN PAID TO HONG KONG HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS. WE'VE INSURED THAT THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG ARE ON THE AGENDA WHEN PEOPLE ARE CONSIDERING REVIEWING POLICY ON MFN AND POLICY ON TRADE. I THINK IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO CONCEIVE OF HOW WE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER TREATED, HOW WE COULD HAVE GOT MORE TIME,

SECONDLY, IF YOU EXPECTED ME TO COME TO HONG KONG AND CHANGE REPRESENTATIVE PELOSI'S VIEWS ON MFN, YOU HAD A MUCH HIGH REGARD FOR MY ELOQUENCE THAN I HAVE MYSELF. WHAT WE HAVE MANAGED TO DO IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE, FROM CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS TO LEADERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION, IS PAYING SERIOUS ATTENTION TO HONG KONG'S POSITION WHILE IT REVIEWS ITS POLICY ON MEN.

THIS IS A NEW ADMINISTRATION WITH A CONCERN FOR BOTH THE THINGS THAT WERE SAID IN THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN AND THE NEED TO BUILD BRIDGES TO THE CONGRESSIONAL LEADERSHIP. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS EXPECTING THINGS TO BE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY WERE LAST YEAR; ALL THE MORE REASON FOR US THIS YEAR MAKING OUR OWN PITCH.

MR ELLIOTT: MIKE ELLIOTT FROM THE ECONOMIST. GOVERNOR, DO YOU THINK THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH THE BROAD POLICY OBJECTIVES IN THE MITCHELL-PELOSI BILL COULD BE ADVANCED WITHOUT USING THE THREAT OF REMOVING MEN? IN OTHER WORDS, ARE THERE OTHER METHODS IN WHICH THE THINGS THAT MOTIVATE NANCY PELOST AND GEORGE MITCHELL AND THEIR SUPPORTERS COULD BE TAKEN FORWARD? HAVE YOU DISCUSSED THAT?

GOVERNOR: YES, I HAVE, IN TERMS BOTH WITH THE SENATOR AND THE REPRESENTATIVE AND WITH OTHERS. IT'S, OF COURSE, NOT FOR ME TO CONSTRUCT A POLICY FOR THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION, BUT IN EACH OF THE SECTORS THAT ARE OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO THE SENATOR AND THE REPRESENTATIVE AND TO OTHERS, I THINK THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT SPECIFIC ROUTES THAT COULD BE FOLLOWED.

AND

FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CONTEXT OF WEAPONS PROLIFERATION THERE ARE PARTICULAR MODALITIES LAID DOWN NOT ONLY IN INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS, BUT ALSO IN NATIONAL LEGISLATION, FOR PURSUING PARTICULAR INTERESTS. THE PURCHASE OF AVIONICS AND OTHER SPACE PRODUCTS, FOR INSTANCE, IS ONE OF THE DOMESTIC LEGISLATION POSSIBILITIES FOR BREACHES FOR MTR.

/SECONDLY, IN