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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19,
1994
SELECT
I
COME
WE
THE
BY
WHEN COMMITTEE GOVERNOR: I SAID TO THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS ADDRESSED THEM IN LONDON THAT WE WANTED, OF COURSE, TO SEE CHINA BACK TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. BUT, IF CHINA DECLINED TO DO SO AND WERE
OBLIGED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE LAST STAGE OF LEGISLATION FOR
OBLIGATION TO 1994/95 ELECTIONS, THEN WE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE UNDER AN TELL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND TO TELL THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT WHY IT GO AHEAD HADN'T BEEN POSSIBLE TO REACH AN AGREEMENT, WHY WE HAD TO WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON OUR OWN WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT. AND THAT IS STILL OUR POSITION. I IMAGINE IT'S A POSITION WHICH IS WELCOMED CHINESE OFFICIALS BECAUSE SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIALS IN DECEMBER PRESSED US TO DO THAT, DARED US TO DO THAT, CHALLENGED US TO DO TELEVISION, I THINK I AM RIGHT IN SAYING. SO, WE HAVE ALL PRESSURE FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS FOR US TO TAKE THIS ACTION COURSE, IT IS ALSO THE CASE THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE OUT THEIR OWN VERSION OF EVENTS, FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE'S DAILY. SO, I IMAGINE THAT IF WE WERE TO TAKE THIS COURSE ACTION IN THE EVENT OF IT NOT BEING POSSIBLE TO RESUME GET THE WARM APPROVAL OF CHINESE OFFICIALS.
THAT ON SEEN THIS AND, OF BEEN PUTTING A LONG ARTICLE IN
OF
TALKS, WE'LL
QUESTION: DO YOU THINK THERE WILL BE DIFFERENT INTERPRETATION THE TWO SIDES ON THE DETAILS OF THE TALKS?
THAT THERE MAY BE
BETWEEN
WILL
SOME DIFFERENCES IN GOVERNOR: IT'S CONCEIVABLE EMPHASIS. BUT IT WILL BE A MATTER WHICH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT TO MAKE THEIR MINDS UP ABOUT AND I GUESS THAT THAT IS AN ARGUMENT WAY AS FOR THE RECORD BEING SET OUT IN AN AS OBJECTIVE AND BALANCED POSSIBLE IF THAT IS IT NEEDS TO BE SET OUT, BUT IT REMAINS MY POSITION OF THE HONG KONG AND I KNOW, REMAINS THE POSITION OF THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THAT STILL, EVEN THOUGH TIME IS RESUMED NEGOTIATIONS. VERY SHORT, THE BEST WAY FORWARD WOULD BE FOR ONE MORE QUESTION.
THE
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, DO YOU MEAN THAT THE FORMAL DECLARATION OF
THE CO- RELEASE OF THE DETAILS OF THE TALKS MEANS THE FORMAL END TO OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES IN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL FUTURE?
THAT'S
IT
ANY QUESTION OF GOVERNOR: NO. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE SHOULD BE
HONG KONG'S ENDING CO-OPERATION ABOUT HONG KONG'S FUTURE, NOT EVEN POLITICAL FUTURE. WE HAVE AN OPEN DOOR. WE WANT TO CO-OPERATE. WHY WE PRESS FOR TALKS FROM OCTOBER 1992 ONWARDS. I AM SORRY THAT TOOK UNTIL APRIL 1993 FOR THE CHINESE SIDE TO AGREE TO TALKS. MAYBE IF MORE TIME THAN WE'VE WE STARTED TALKING IN OCTOBER, WE WOULD HAVE
NICE TO SEE YOU BEEN ABLE TO ARRIVE AT A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION.
ALL.
C
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