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GOVERNOR IN LEGCO
THURSDAY, MAY 13, 1993
FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY):
GOVERNOR: MR PRESIDENT, I AM GRATEFUL FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY то BRIEF HONOURABLE MEMBERS ON MY VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES LAST WEEK, MY FIRST AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG. LIKE PREVIOUS GOVERNORS, I CONSIDER IT AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MY JOB TO DEFEND HONG KONG'S VITAL INTERESTS WHENEVER AND WHEREVER THEY ARE THREATENED.
THE DEBATE NOW UNDER WAY IN THE UNITED STATES ABOUT CHINA'S MFN TRADING STATUS IS OF CRITICAL IMPORTANCE ΤΟ US IN HONG KONG. ANYTHING WHICH MIGHT DAMAGE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TWO MOST IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNERS CLEARLY PUTS AT RISK HONG KONG'S VITAL INTERESTS.
IS
RELATIONSHIP
IT IS WORTH REMINDING OURSELVES HOW IMPORTANT OUR WITH THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES IS OUR SECOND MOST IMPORTANT TRADING PARTNER AFTER CHINA. IT IS OUR LARGEST MARKET FOR DOMESTIC EXPORTS. IT IS OUR SECOND LARGEST MARKET FOR RE-EXPORTS. IT IS A HUGELY IMPORTANT SOURCE OF DIRECT INVESTMENT AND OF TOURIST REVENUE. THE TOTAL VALUE OF OUR TRADE WITH THE UNITED STATES LAST YEAR WAS HK$285 BILLION. THERE ARE 15 U.S. BANKS AND 21 INSURANCE COMPANIES OPERATING HERE. 127 FACTORIES ARE WHOLLY OR PARTLY US-OWNED AND THEY PROVIDE EMPLOYMENT FOR 23,400 PEOPLE. SOME 900 UNITED STATES FIRMS CARRY OUT BUSINESS IN HONG KONG. SO THE ECONOMIC LINKS ARE CLOSE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THEM DEVELOP FURTHER. BESIDES STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF MEN RENEWAL DURING MY VISIT, I SOUGHT UNDERLINE THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS RELATIONSHIP TO AS WIDE AN AUDIENCE
AS POSSIBLE.
ΤΟ
I AM VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE WARM RECEPTION I RECEIVED IN THE UNITED STATES. I FOUND A DEEP RESERVOIR OF GOODWILL AND RESPECT FOR HONG KONG, AND I THINK IT IS THIS GOODWILL THAT HELPS TO EXPLAIN WHY SO MANY PEOPLE SET ASIDE TIME TO LISTEN TO WHAT I HAD TO SAY ON BEHALF OF HONG KONG. I HAD MEETINGS WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE; WITH ACTING SECRETARY OF STATE WHARTON AND WINSTON LORD THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PART OF ASIA AND THE PACIFIC; WITH TREASURY SECRETARY BENTSEN; AND WITH ROBERT RUBIN, THE ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR ECONOMIC POLICY.
IN THE CONGRESS I HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH SENATORS BAUCUS, BRADLEY, MCCONNELL AND MITCHELL, AND REPRESENTATIVES FOLEY, HAMILTON, PELOSI, PORTER AND ROSTENKOWSKI, AND I MET BOTH THE ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY REPRESENTATIVE ACKERMAN, AND SENATOR ROBB'S EAST ASIAN AND PACIFIC AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE.
IN ADDITION, 1 GAVE SPEECHES TO THE NATIONAL PRESS CLUB
IN WASHINGTON, THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON US-CHINA RELATIONS AND THE HONG KONG ASSOCIATION IN NEW YORK, AND TO A NUMBER OF OTHER AUDIENCES. ON ALL OF THESE OCCASIONS I ARGUED WITH ALL THE FORCE
AT MY COMMAND IN DEFENCE OF FREE TRADE AND THE RENEWAL OF MEN STATUS FOR CHINA.
/MY VISIT
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