XN000022-1993-12-15 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1993

FOR TABLING AND

ΤΟ

CHINESE NOT TO

THAT WE

ΤΟ

GOVERNOR: WE HAVEN'T KILLED THE TALKS. THE REASON INTRODUCING THE PARTIAL BILL, THE INTERIM BILL IS IN ORDER TO TRY

I BELIEVE, KEEP THE TALKS ALIVE. THE WHOLE COMMUNITY AND, OFFICIALS KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE IN ORDER MISS OUR LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DEADLINES. EVERYONE KNEW EVEN WAITING UNTIL EARLY DECEMBER WAS CUTTING THINGS VERY FINE.

ABOUT THE OUTSTANDING WANT TO GO ON TALKING TO CHINESE OFFICIALS ISSUES WHICH ARE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES LIKE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE THROUGH TRAIN. WE ARE NOT GOING

SIDE WALK AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND I HOPE THAT THE CHINESE

THINK AREN'T GOING TO WALK AWAY FROM THE NEGOTIATING TABLE EITHER. I THAT IT WOULD BE A HELP IF INSTEAD OF USING RATHER SURPRISING LANGUAGE ABOUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN HONG KONG, CHINESE OFFICIALS WOULD HAVE ON THE VOTING TO TELL US WHETHER OR NOT THEY THINK OUR PROPOSALS METHOD FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE REASONABLE. AND IF THEY THINK THE "SINGLE-SEAT, SINGLE VOTE" METHOD IS REASONABLE, THEN SHOULD SAY WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO. I THINK THEY SHOULD SAY THEY THINK WE COULD FIND EXTRA TIME IN ORDER TO PUT IN PROPOSALS WHICH ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO HAVE DECENT ELECTIONS IN HONG KONG. THEY MUST RECOGNISE THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF THE LEGISLATIVE IN DEBATING THESE THINGS. AFTER ALL, A MEMBER

PUSHING A COUNCIL WHO, I THINK, USUALLY SUPPORTS PEKING, IS HIMSELF

DOING THAT TO PRIVATE MEMBERS BILL THIS AFTERNOON AND SEEKING IN

SUITS THEM, SOME AFFECT THE WAY THE EXECUTIVE BEHAVES. SO WHEN IT

TO CHINESE OFFICIALS AND SOME ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHINESE SIDE APPEAR

THEY WOULD RECOGNISE THE ROLE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I WISH

HAS RECOGNISE ALL THE TIME THE ROLE WHICH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

AND THE ROLE TODAY UNDER OUR EXISTING CONSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS IT'LL HAVE TOMORROW UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW.

QUESTION: CONTACTS...

SIR,

WHAT IS THE CHINESE BEFORE YESTERDAY?

RESPONSE

ΤΟ

YOUR

DON'T

THEY

WHERE PLACE THE

HERB

DIPLOMATIC

AND ASKED GOVERNOR: WE CONTACTED CHINESE OFFICIALS AGAIN YESTERDAY

AN THEM WITH OUR USUAL POLITENESS WHEN THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE US

SHOULD TAKE ANSWER ABOUT OUR PROPOSAL THAT THE 18TH ROUND OF TALKS

GOING PLACE ON DECEMBER 17TH AND 18TH. AFTER ALL, IF THOSE TALKS ARE

ᏞᎬᎢ OUR PLACE

WILL HAVE TO TO TAKE

THEN OR EVEN NEXT WEEK, WE

TO HAVE AN OFFICIALS KNOW SO THAT THEY CAN START PACKING. WE WANT

WAS BEING ANSWER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR REQUEST

ON CONSIDERED AND I HOPE WE WILL GET A REPLY VERY SOON. BUT WE'LL GO

PLACE. YOU ASKING FOR TALKS JUST AS WE ASKED FOR TALKS IN THE FIRST REMEMBER THAT THE IDEA OF THESE NEGOTIATIONS CAME FROM US.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, YOU'LL FACE THE PROSPECT TO FIND THE

OF

GOVERNMENT

IGNORE

HONG KONG WITHOUT ANY CO-OPERATION FROM CHINA, THAT THEY WILL

RECONCILE IT? EVERYTHING YOU SAY AND DO, HOW DO YOU NOW

/GOVERNOR