XN000022-1993-07-03 — Page 2

SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1993

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HURD'S PEKING VISIT WORTHWHILE IN FACE OF PROGRESS IN TALKS

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID TODAY (SATURDAY) SUFFICIENT PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS MAKE IT WORTHWHILE FOR THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR DOUGLAS HURD, ΤΟ VISIT PEKING NEXT WEEK.

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MR HURD WILL TALK TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER MR QIAN QICHEN WHOM HE HAD NOT MET SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER.

SPEAKING то REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT AFTER RETURNING FROM LONDON, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE FOREIGN SECRETARY WOULD ALSO UNDERLINE SOME OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS ABOUT THE WAY TO BRING ABOUT THE TALKS TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION.

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"WE'RE NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH. WE'RE NOT TALKING DEADLINES, BUT THERE ARE SOME INESCAPABLE REALITIES ABOUT THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1994/95 WHICH MEANS THAT WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE MORE PROGRESS, MORE RAPID PROGRESS IN THE NEXT PHASE OF THE TALKS," HE SAID.

ON HIS TRIP TO LONDON, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "MINISTERS HAVE ACCEPTED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR TALKS WITH THE CHINESE.

"THEY HAVE REAFFIRMED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE PRINCIPLES WHICH UNDERPINNED OUR POSITION IN THE TALKS, FIRST OF ALL OUR COMMITMENT TO ESTABLISHING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 1994/95 ELECTIONS WHICH ARE OPEN AND FAIR AND ACCEPTABLE то THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

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AND SECOND OUR COMMITMENT TO A GENUINE THROUGH TRAIN WITH CLEAR OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THOSE LEGISLATORS WHO ARE ELECTED IN 1995 AND ON THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A MILLIMETRE OF CHANGE IN OUR POSITION," HE ADDED.

"THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY ALSO ACCEPTED OUR RECOMMENDATION THAT THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SHOULD VISIT PEKING ON JULY 8 AND 9, HR SAID.

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"IT'S PARTICULARLY USEFUL FOR US, FOR EXAMPLE, TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE AND SPEAK TO LABOUR SPOKESMAN ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, AND TO HAVE IT RE-ESTABLISHED AGAIN THAT THERE'S CROSS-PARTY SUPPORT AT WESTMINSTER FOR THE APPROACH THAT WE HAVE TAKEN IN HONG KONG, HE NOTED.

ASKED IF HE COULD PUT IN PLACE THE ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS AS SET OUT IN HIS POLICY ADDRESS, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE MOOD OF PROPLE IN HONG KONG IS THAT WE SHOULD GIVE THE "EGOTIATIONS EVERY CHANCE OF SUCCESS AND GO ON WITH THE NEGOTIATIONS AS LONG AS WE REASONABLY CAN.

"AS I SAID IN LONDON, IT'S OUR SINCERE PREFERENCE ΤΟ REACH

ARRANGEMENTS IN NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WERE ACCEPTABLE IN HONG KONG AND TO DO SO BY AGREEMENT WITH CHINA.

"IF WE DON'T REACH AGREEMENT WITH CHINA, THEN WE WILL HAVE GO AHEAD WITH LEGISLATION BECAUSE WE ARE SOVEREIGN AND WE HAVE TO THE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE, HE SAID.

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