XN000022-1993-12-20 — Page 4

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1993

3

GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING POST OFFICE

* *

THE

THE GOVERNOR,

FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE

RT HON

PATTEN, CHRISTOPHER

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE POST OFFICE ON DECEMBER 20, 1993:-

HERE

PARTNERS

DOES,

DEAL

AND THE SEE HOW USED.

GOVERNOR: I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO VISIT THE POST OFFICE THIS

IN MORNING WHICH DOES SUCH A SUPERB JOB FOR THE COMMUNITY HONG KONG AND TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND RELATIONS AND BUSINESS AROUND THE WORLD. SOMETIMES, ONE CAN TAKE FOR GRANTED THOSE WHO DO A REALLY EXCELLENT JOB BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT PARTICULARLY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR TO REMEMBER WHAT OUTSTANDING WORK THE POST OFFICE WHAT MARVELLOUS WORK OUR POSTMEN AND NOW POSTWOMEN ARE DOING TO WITH ALL THE EXTRA LOAD OF WORK THAT THEY HAVE AT CHRISTMAS NEW YEAR AND THE CHINESE NEW YEAR. I'VE BEEN INTERESTED TO

THE

BEING MECHANISED

OPERATION IS, HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY IS GUESS WE

WORLD FOR ARE ONE OF THE LEADING POST OFFICES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY. I AM DELIGHTED TO SEE THE IMPROVEMENTS

THE PRODUCTIVITY,

DEVELOPMENT OF THE SPEEDPOST WHICH IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR OUR BUSINESS AND COMMERCE AND THE WAY THE POST OFFICE IS SETTING ABOUT

ΤΟ IMPLEMENTING ITS PERFORMANCE PLEDGES. SO I'D LIKE EXPRESS, ON BEHALF OF THE COMMUNITY, MY GRATITUDE TO ALL THOSE WHO ARE WORKING IN THE POST OFFICE WHO, AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR AND OTHER US IN TIMES OF THE YEAR, MAKE LIFE MORE AGREEABLE FOR US BY KEEPING TOUCH WITH BUSINESS PARTNERS, RELATIONS AND FRIENDS.

I THE

IN

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, THE PROPOSED DATES FOR THE 18TH ROUND OF HAVE ALREADY PASSED, NOW WILL THE BRITISH SIDE BE PROPOSING NEW FOR THE 18TH ROUND?

TALKS

DATES

THE FOR

GOVERNOR: WE'VE HAD A MESSAGE FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IN PEKING

SAID US TO WHAT THE SPOKESMAN OF THE FOREIGN MINISTRY REFERRING OTHER DAY. BUT I THINK WE WANT A FORMAL RESPONSE TO OUR PROPOSAL TALKS. I SAID LAST WEEK AND I MEAN IT THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO TALK UNTIL THAT MOMENT WHEN WE'RE OBLIGED TO INTRODUCE THE SECOND STAGE OF OUR LEGISLATION OR, I SUPPOSE LITERALLY, YOU COULD CALL IT THE THIRD

IN BECAUSE THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION BILL WAS STAGE

SOME

THE FIRST CASES

OF STAGE. WE THUS HAVE THE SECOND STAGE

PARTIAL LEGISLATION. WE ARE KEEN TO TALK. IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE COULD TALK RATHER THAN JUST LISTEN TO CRITICISM FROM THE OTHER SIDE. I AM SURE THAT IS WHAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD LIKE TO DO AND I THINK THERE IS AN OVERWHELMING VIEW ON THE PART OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF THAT PARTIAL LEGISLATION SHOULDN'T STOP TALKS BUT SHOULD ENABLE TALKS TO GO ON.

QUESTION: SO YOU ARE SAYING THAT THE BRITISH SIDE WON'T PROPOSE A NEW DATE FOR THE 18TH ROUND UNTIL THE

GOVERNOR: NO. I WAS SAYING THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR TALKS AND I AM SURE

AT THAT

ANY STAGE WHEN THE CHINESE FELT IT'S CONVENIENT, WE'LL BE FOR TO PUT PEOPLE ON PLANES TO PEKING. THAT WAS WHAT WE'D DONE HAPPY 17 ROUNDS AND I AM SURE WE'LL DO IT FOR A FEW ROUNDS MORE. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYBODY THINKS THAT WE CAN MANAGE THE TIME FOR ANOTHER 17 ROUNDS.

/QUESTION: