XN000022-1994-02-15 — Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1994

1

GOVERNOR MEETS AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (TUESDAY) WOUND UP THE FIRST LEG OF HIS AUSTRALIAN VISIT WITH WHAT HE DESCRIBED AS "AN EXCELLENT AND INTERESTING" MEETING WITH THE PRIME MINISTER, PAUL KEATING,

MR

THE MEETING WAS HELD AT KIRRIBILLI HOUSE, THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICIAL SYDNEY RESIDENCE, AND LASTED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND A QUARTER.

AT A PRESS BRIEFING AFTERWARDS, MR PATTEN SAID THE MEETING HAD MAINLY COVERED THREE SUBJECTS:

* THE ECONOMIC AND TRADE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND HONG KONG, IN WHICH HE ARGUED VERY STRONGLY THAT AUSTRALIAN FIRMS SHOULD CONTINUE TO SEE HONG KONG AS THE BEST JUMPING OFF POINT FOR DOING BUSINESS WITH CHINA;

* REGIONAL ISSUES, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO ECONOMIC MATTERS, AND AUSTRALIA'S AND HONG KONG'S RESPECTIVE ROLES IN APEC; AND

THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, IN WHICH MR PATTEN STRESSED HONG KONG'S DETERMINATION TO ENSURE THE JOINT DECLARATION WAS FULLY IMPLEMENTED AND THAT HONG KONG CONTINUED TO BE A SPECIAL PLACE WITH ITS OWN WAY OF LIFE AND SYSTEM OF DOING BUSINESS AFTER 1997.

ΤΟ

MR PATTEN ALSO ANNOUNCED THAT HE HAD INVITED MR KEATING VISIT HONG KONG IN VIEW OF THE VERY CLOSE ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO PLACES AND HIS OWN VISIT TO AUSTRALIA WHICH WAS BEING MADE AT THE INVITATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT.

THE GOVERNOR SAID MR KEATING HAD INDICATED HE HOPED TO TAKE THE INVITATION.

UP

IN ANSWER TO QUESTIONS, MR PATTEN STRESSED THAT HE WANTED TO USE HIS VISIT TO BROADEN AND DEEPEN MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSITION IN HONG KONG AND ITS ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIPS IN THE REGION.

HE SAID HE WAS DELIGHTED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT THE MEETING WITH MR KEATING.

MR PATTEN ADDED: "I HAVE HAD, FROM MY OWN POSITION AND FROM THE POSITION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL VISIT.'

IN

14

RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT REPORTS THAT SOME LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WOULD SEEK A DEFERRAL OF THE PARTIAL ELECTORAL REFORM BILL, MR PATTEN SAID: "IF WE DON'T GET LEGISLATIVE ARRANGEMENTS IN PLACE SHORTLY IT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO HOLD THE ELECTIONS.

"I'M

SURE EVERY LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR UNDERSTANDS THAT WE'VE GOT TO START DRAWING UP THE VOTING REGISTER IN APRIL AND THAT REQUIRES US TO GET THIS FIRST BILL ONTO THE STATUTE BOOK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

MR PATTEN ADDED THAT HE EXPECTED THE BILL WOULD BE PASSED.

TOMORROW THE GOVERNOR WILL FLY TO CANBERRA WHERE HE WILL THE FOREIGN MINISTER, SENATOR GARETH EVANS, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, BILL HAYDEN, AND NATIONAL POLITICAL LEADERS. HE WILL ALSO ADDRESS NATIONAL PRESS CLUB.

MEET

MR

THE

0

/2