XN000022-1993-12-17 — Page 12

10

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1993

QUESTION: WHEN WILL THAT BE.

1 ·

FOR THE REST OF THE PROPOSALS?

GOVERNOR: YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT FOR WEEKS IF NOT MONTHS, I HAVE DECLINED TO TALK IN TERMS OF DEADLINES WHILE KNOWING THAT THE SIDE WERE WELL AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES WE HAD LEGISLATIVE SIDE AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE. WE ARE GOING TO WITH THE PRESENT BILL THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND COURSE, WE'LL HAVE TO COME FORWARD WITH THE REST OF THE MEASURES UNTIL THEN, WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO TALK TO THE CHINESE SIDE. INDEED, WILL GO ON PRESSING FOR TALKS.

CHINESE ON THE PROCEED DUE BUT

IN

WE

QUESTION : HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THE CHINESE SPOKESMAN WHO SAID THAT IT IS THE END OF THE TALKS TO THE MEDIA YESTERDAY?

GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT IF THAT'S THE CHINESE POSITION, THEY WOULD WANT TO DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO IT FORMALLY. BUT I HOPE THAT

IS NOT THE CONSIDERED CHINESE POSITION. YOU WILL NOTICE THIS MORNING THAT IN AN OPINION POLL, OVER 60 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO WERE QUESTIONED DID NOT BELIEVE THAT TABLING THIS PARTIAL LEGISLATION SHOULD BE TAKEN AS A REASON FOR BREAKING OFF THE TALKS NOR DO I. AS THE CHINESE SIDE KNOW PERFECTLY WELL, WE TABLED THE PARTIAL LEGISLATION WHICH I THINK HAS BEEN WIDELY WELCOMED IN THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO GIVE OURSELVES TIME FOR THE TALKS. THAT REMAINS OUR POSITION.

MORE

THE THAT THE THAT IS,

QUESTION: DO YOU FEEL BEING THREATENED WHILE THE SPOKESMAN FOR MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR WU JIANMIN, SAID THAT NOW SINO-BRITISH TRADE RELATION IS INEVITABLY BEING YOU'VE TABLED THE PARTIAL BILL?

GOVERNMENT THE BEST

GOVERNOR: OUR CONCERN AND THE CONCERN OF THE BRITISH CERTAINLY ARE CONCERN HERE IN HONG KONG IS TO DO WHAT'S IN INTEREST OF HONG KONG TO MAINTAIN THE RULE OF LAW IN HONG KONG, TO ENSURE THAT THE JOINT DECLARATION IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE DOING AND I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER CONSIDERATIONS. I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH WHAT PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN SAID WHAT HE MET PRESIDENT CLINTON AND SAID THAT NOBODY SHOULD CONFUSE POLITICS AND TRADE; PEOPLE SHOULD KEEP POLITICS AND ECONOMICS SEPARATED. I THINK THAT WAS VERY WISE ADVICE BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PRC AND I AM SURE IT'S ADVICE WHICH ALL HIS COLLEAGUES WILL WANT TO TAKE. IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING, OF COURSE, THAT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE IS A CHINESE TRADE SURPLUS WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM OF TWO TO ONE AND I DON'T IMAGINE THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS WOULD WANT TO DAMAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP. THEY'RE APPLYING FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE GATT WHICH IS, OF COURSE, VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE. THE UNITED KINGDOM HAS TOTALLY AND UNEQUIVOCALLY SUPPORTED THEIR APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP OF GATT. THAT ISN'T THE POSITION OF ALL THE OTHER MEMBERS OF GATT BUT IS CERTAINLY THE UNITED KINGDOM'S POSITION. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE A LITTLE CALM AND SENSIBLE AND I THINK WE NEED TO RECOGNISE AS I'VE SAID EARLIER THAT IT IS OUR CONCERN TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR HONG KONG AND I HOPE THAT IS THE CHINESE SIDE'S CONCERN AS WELL. THEY CAN BEST SHOW THAT BY FULLY CO-OPERATING ON ALL THE MEASURES THAT ARE OUTSTANDING IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND SO ON AND THEY CAN BEST DO THAT AS WELL BY COMING TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE AND TRYING TO DEAL WITH MATTERS LIKE THE ELECTION COMMITTEE AND THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND THE THROUGH TRAIN ON WHICH THERE IS, ALAS, STILL QUITE A WIDE

GAP, ONE

MORE.

/QUESTION