XN000022-1993-11-05 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1993

TO

?

QUESTION:

MR PATTEN, WILL YOU BE RECOMMENDING A FIRM DEADLINE THE BRITISH CABINET OR A CONCLUSION TO THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS

GOVERNOR :

WE WILL CERTAINLY BE DISCUSSING HOW MUCH NEEDS TO BE DONE IN THE TIME REMAINING. WHAT WE WON'T BE DOING, AS I HAVE SAID ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AND I HOPE IT DOESN'T COME AS TOO GREAT A DISAPPOINTMENT TO THOSE OF YOU WHO WILL BE ACCOMPANYING US, , WE WON'T BE COMING OUT OF THE FRONT DOOR OF NUMBER TEN AND SAYING WE'VE GOT 'X' AMOUNT MORE TIME AND 'Y' WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON'T MAKE THE PROGRESS THAT WE WOULD LIKE. THAT IS NOT, I THINK, THE WAY YOU WOULD EXPECT US TO SHAPE OUR STRATEGY FOR THE TIME THAT REMAINS.

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, HOW WOULD YOU ADVISE THE CABINET MEETING THAT HELPS ΤΟ ASSESS THE PROSPECT FOR SUCCESS? IS IT MAINLY TO ATTAIN

'THROUGH TRAIN' IS ONE OF THE CRITERIA?

GOVERNOR :

WELL,

FOR

WE DO NEED TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA THE THROUGH-TRAIN, AS I HAVE SAID ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS, AND WE NEED, AS I HAVE SAID EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY, TO AGREE ON ELECTORAL ARRANGEMENTS WHICH ARE OPEN AND FAIR AND WHICH ARE LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. OUR OBJECTIVES ON THOSE MATTERS HAVE NOT CHANGED. WE HAVE SHOWN CONSIDERABLE FLEXIBILITY, I BELIEVE. WE HAVE, AS I TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, MADE SIGNIFICANT CONDITIONAL CONCESSIONS. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME MOVEMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE AS WELL.

QUESTION:

DESPITE WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SAID, SIR, COULD YOU TELL US WHAT IT WILL TAKE FROM CHINA TO AVOID ROUND 16

THE EXPIRY DATE OF

THE TALKS?

GOVERNOR:

I DON'T WANT TO PRE-EMPT THE CABINET COMMITTEE'S DISCUSSION, AND I DON'T WANT TO ASSUME WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN IN ROUND 16 AND ANY OTHER ROUNDS THAT THERE MAY BE. I THINK THAT WHAT IS REQUIRED, TO BORROW A PHRASE, IS SINCERITY, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN SHOWING

IN SUCH ABUNDANCE ALONG WITH PATIENCE. I THINK WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A LITTLE CREATIVE AND POSITIVE THINKING ON BOTH SIDES OF THE TABLE. AND I THINK WHAT IS REQUIRED IS A RECOGNITION THAT WHEN THE JOINT DECLARATION REFERRED IN ANNEX 1 TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEING COMPOSED THROUGH ELECTION, IT'S MEANT FAIR ELECTIONS NOT UNFAIR ELECTIONS. I THINK IF WE COULD GET A BIT OF AGREEMENT ON THAT WE WOULD HAVE THE MAKINGS OF A PRETTY GOOD DEAL. A GOOD DEAL FOR HONG KONG, A GOOD DEAL FOR CHINA, AND A GOOD DEAL FOR BRITAIN.

QUESTION:

I'M SORRY, SIR, BUT WHEN YOU SAY WEEKS NOT MONTHS, WE INTERPRET THAT AS A HOLLOW THREAT?

DO

/GOVERNOR: