XN000022-1993-12-12 — Page 2

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1993

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BRITISH TEAM WANTS TO GO ON NEGOTIATING

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THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, REITERATED TODAY (SUNDAY) THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE INTRODUCING THE PARTIAL BILL INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN ORDER TO GIVE THE BRITISH TEAM MORE TIMB AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES OF ELECTION COMMITTEE, FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE THROUGH- TRAIN.

SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE PING SHAN HERITAGE TRAIL IN YUEN LONG, MR PATTEN SAID: "WE'VE MADE IT ABSOLUTELY PLAIN THAT WE NEED THIS PARTIAL LEGISLATION IN ORDER TO GIVE OURSELVES MORE TIME FOR THOSE OTHER MATTERS.

"WE WANT TO GO ON NEGOTIATING AT THE TABLE. WE ARE NOT GOING TO LEAVE THE TABLE.

"TALKING IS BETTER THAN WALKING,"

RESPONDING THE REMARKS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS YESTERDAY ABOUT TURMOIL AND CHAOS, THE GOVERNOR SAID THERE WAS NOT TURMOIL AND CHAOS

IN HONG KONG.

SUCCESSFUL RECOGNISED

"WE HAVE HERE IN HONG KONG A STABLE, PROSPEROUS, INCREDIBLY COMMUNITY, RECOGNISED AS SUCH BY THE WHOLE OF THE WORLD, AS SUCH, I THINK, BY OUR NEIGHBOURS IN CHINA AND WE ARB GOING ΤΟ CONTINUE ΤΟ BE STABLE AND AS STABLE AND PROSPEROUS, FLOURISHING UNDER THE RULE OF LAW."

MR PATTEN SAID IN THE LAST YEAR, HONG KONG HAD A GOOD DEBATE ABOUT ITS POLITICAL FUTURE.

"IT'S BEEN CONDUCTED IN A WAY WHICH IS CALM AND SENSIBLE AND MATURE, JUST THE SORT OF WAY THAT YOU EXPECT THESE MATTERS TO BE HANDLED IN HONG KONG. AND WHILE THAT DEBATE'S BEEN TAKING PLACE, HONG KONG'S ECONOMY HAS GROWN BY ABOUT 5.5 %, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

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"WE'VE CUT TAXES. WE'VE INCREASED PROVISIONS FOR PROGRAMMES AND WE'VE SEEN GROWING INTERNATIONAL CONFIDENCE FUTURE OF OUR ECONOMY. THAT'S HOW IT HAS BEEN AND THAT'S HOW GOING TO CONTINUE.

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SOCIAL IN THE IT 19

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RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE BRITISH ECONOMIC TIE CHINA, MR PATTEN SAID: I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN WHO SAID TO PRESIDENT CLINTON WHEN HE SAW HIM RECENTLY THAT NOBODY SHOULD MIX UP POLITICS WITH ECONOMICS.

"IT'S TRUE THAT BRITISH AND CHINA HAVE AN IMPORTANT ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP. IT'S ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH UNDER THE LAST FIGURES, CHINESE EXPORTS TO BRITAIN WERE TWICE AS LARGE AS BRITISH EXPORTS TO CHINA.

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"THERE IS A LARGE CHINESE SURPLUS WITH BRITISH IN TRADE AND AM SURE THAT THAT'S RECOGNISED BY CHINESE OFFICIALS AS IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN CHINA'S ECONOMIC OPENING.

AMBASSADOR WAS ENCOURAGING

"EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE CHINESE BRITISH FIRMS TO INVEST IN CHINA AND I AM SURE THAT THEY WOULD WANT TO DO THAT.

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