XN000022-1993-12-03 — Page 5

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1993

QUESTION: REGARDING THE PROBLEM?

BY MR LU PING

OF THE CHINESE SIDE, WHAT IS

OBJECTIVE

GOVERNOR : OUR

AS YOU KNOW, OVER THESE YEARS, IS TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO SAFEGUARD THE JOINT DECLARATION, WHICH IS THE BASIS FOR HONG KONG'S LONG-TERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY. WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN MAKE A REALITY OF CONCEPTS LIKE "HONG KONG PEOPLE RUNNING HONG KONG", OF CONCEPTS LIKE "ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS", AND THAT INVOLVES US IN STANDING FIRM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE CAN DO SO IN THE MAXIMUM CO-OPERATION WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS. I THINK IT TAKES, OF COURSE, TWO SIDES TO CO-OPERATE AND TWO SIDES TO SHOW SINCERITY.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, AS HONG KONG

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ECONOMIC, DO YOU THINK

·

GOVERNOR: WELL,

I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN THAT IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT то KEEP TRADE AND ECONOMIC ISSUES AND POLITICS SEPARATE AND THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER HE WAS SAYING THE OTHER DAY TO PRESIDENT CLINTON, AND IT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I SAID TO PRESIDENT CLINTON WHEN I SAW HIM IN MAY. AND IT'S, OF COURSE, WHAT A NUMBER OF SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE SAID IN SPECIFIC RELATIONSHIP TO HONG KONG. IT'S OBVIOUSLY A SENSIBLE WAY TO BEHAVE, NOT TO ALLOW DISAGREEMENTS OVER POLITICAL MATTERS FROM TIME TO TIME ΤΟ AFFECT LIVELIHOOD ISSUES. IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE IN ANYONE'S INTEREST IN CHINA ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN. WE'LL GO ON WORKING FOR THE WELL-BEING OF HONG KONG,

BOTH IN ECONOMIC TERMS AND IN TERMS OF SAFEGUARDING OUR VALUES. THE TWO, IN OUR JUDGEMENT, ARE CLOSELY RELATED.

TO

QUESTION: (ON PRESS REPORTS ABOUT CHINESE OFFICIALS' REMARKS ON HOME RETURN PERMITS.)

GOVERNOR : I READ REPORTS OF THOSE REMARKS ON WHICH THERE IS AN EDITORIAL IN ONE OF OUR MOST DISTINGUISHED NEWSPAPERS THIS MORNING. I AM BOUND TO SAY THAT I WAS SOMEWHAT CONCERNED AND I'VE ASKED TO SEE A FULL TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT WAS SAID BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED VERY CONSIDERABLE CONCERN IN HONG KONG, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF WHAT

SAID SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PERMIT, BUT FOR SOME OF IMPLICATIONS OF THE REMARK AS WELL. BUT BEFORE COMMENTING I WOULD LIKE TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT WAS SAID BECAUSE IT MAY TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT.

THE WIDER IN DETAIL,

HAVE BEEN

QUESTION: IS THAT ANYTHING THAT COULD KEEP YOU FROM DECIDING AND BRINGING THE BILL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ?

GOVERNOR:

I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE CAN BRING THE BILL TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WITH THE MAXIMUM SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITY AND I VERY MUCH HOPE WITH THE MAXIMUM UNDERSTANDING BY OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES.

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