XN000022-1994-01-18 — Page 2

TUESDAY, JANUARY 18, 1994

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GOVERNOR LEAVES FOR LONDON

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THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, WOULD BE ATTENDING A MEETING IN LONDON WITH OTHER MINISTERS TO CONSIDER THE PROGRESS OF THE LEGISLATION ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG AND THE NEXT STEPS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE REQUIRED BY ITS RESPONSIBILITIES TO TAKE.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER THIS MORNING'S EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE MAIN PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT TO LONDON TONIGHT WAS TO GIVE EVIDENCE TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE, WHICH HAD TAKEN EVIDENCE FROM A NUMBER OF OTHERS AS PART OF THEIR ENQUIRY.

"I'LL OF COURSE BE HAVING ONE OR TWO OTHER MEETINGS WITH FOREIGN OFFICE OFFICIALS, WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, THE HOME SECRETARY AND OTHERS, MR PATTEN SAID.

"I'LL ALSO BE SEEING ONCE AGAIN SIR DAVID FORD, OUR COMMISSIONER IN LONDON, AND SIR ROBIN MCLAREN, WHO, I'M DELIGHTED, HAS RECOVERED FROM THE OPERATION WHICH HE HAD LAST NOVEMBER.

IT

IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD INTRODUCE THE SECOND PART OF THE POLITICAL REFORM BILL IN PARALLEL OR IN A STEP-BY-STEP WAY, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "I THINK IT'S UNLIKELY THAT WE WOULD WANT TO GO AHEAD WITH THE LAST STAGE OF LEGISLATION WHILE THE PRESENT BILL IS IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

"I THINK IDEALLY WE'D WANT TO SEE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DEAL WITH THAT BILL FIRST AND THEN MOVE ON TO NEXT ONE BUT WE NEED THIS BILL IN ORDER TO GET ON WITH DRAWING UP THE REGISTER OF VOTERS IN THE SPRING, IN APRIL.

"BUT I WANT TO PROCEED IN A SENSIBLE WAY, TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME. I THINK THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY WILL UNDERSTAND THAT."

SAID: SAID

AND

ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE INCREASE IN CORRUPTION CASES, MR PATTEN "CORRUPTION IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND JUST AS MANY OFFICIALS HAVE THAT IT IS A THREAT TO CHINA'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPERITY, SO IT'S A THREAT TO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPERITY AND WE HAVE A JOINT INTEREST WITH CHINA IN STAMPING IT AND DEALING WITH IT RIGOROUSLY AND RUTHLESSLY.

"I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN EVER TOLERATE A LITTLE BIT CORRUPTION. I THINK THAT IF YOU ALLOW CORRUPTION TO COME SEEPING UNDER THE DOOR,

THE DOOR, IT VERY SOON STARTS TO DESTROY THE FOUNDATIONS OF COMMUNITY OR A SOCIETY.

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/"WE'RE PROPOSING .....