XN000022-1994-03-01 — Page 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 1994

1.

GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO PRESS AFTER EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

* * *

GOVERNOR: GOOD MORNING. WE HAD GOOD DISCUSSIONS THIS MORNING ABOUT THE VERY THE BUDGET AND ABOUT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. WE CONSIDERED SATISFACTORY VOTES IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST WEEK WHICH SAW THE COMPLETION OF WORK ON THE BILL WHICH DEALT WITH THE VOTING METHOD FOR DISTRICT BOARD, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS, WHICH DEALT WITH APPOINTED MEMBERS AND WHICH DEALT WITH OTHER MATTERS WHICH SHOULDN'T BE THE SUBJECTS OF VERY MUCH CONTROVERSY. WE ALSO CONSIDERED THE DOCUMENTS WHICH THE BRITISH AND HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS AND WHICH THE GOVERNMENT OF PRC HAD PRODUCED ON THE TALKS WHICH UNFORTUNATELY DIDN'T SUCCEED. AS YOU KNOW, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SET OUT AN ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TALKS LAST WEEK. LATE YESTERDAY, THE PRC GAVE THEIR VERSION. WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO STUDY THAT DOCUMENT CAREFULLY TO GIVE TT THE ATTENTION WHICH IT UNDOUBTEDLY DESERVES. AT FIRST SIGHT, IT DOES NOT SEEM THAT THE DOCUMENT ADDS ANYTHING NEW TO WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY HEARD IN PREVIOUS LEAKS AND PREVIOUS ALLEGATIONS FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE FEEL WE NEED TO ADD LATER. I TO THE ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE SET OUT, WE'LL DO SO A LITTLE MUST SAY THAT MY IMPRESSION IS THAT THE COMMUNITY DOESN'T WANT TO

Ι THINK CHARGE AND COUNTER-CHARGE WEEK AFTER WEEK THROUGH THE SPRING. THE COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LINE DRAWN AND WOULD LIKE TO SEE

CAN GET

ON WITH MORE POSITIVE ISSUES NOT LEAST CO-OPERATING WHERE WE

INVOLVED IN IN THE

INTEREST OF HONG KONG. SO, WE WON'T WANT TO GET THAT

THE ENDLESS TIC-FOR-TAC.

PEOPLE OF HONG

HAVE MATURE KONG JUDGMENT. THEY CAN READ THE TWO ACCOUNTS AND MAKE THEIR OWN MINDS UP AND I AM SURE THAT IS WHAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL WANT TO DO. SO, 1 REPEAT THAT AS FAR AS WE ARE CONCERNED, WE'D LIKE TO GET ON WITH IS BUSINESS STARTING WITH

WHICH EVERYBODY THE BUDGET TOMORROW TO LOOKING

AND, I HOPE, MOVING INTO AREAS WHERE SERIOUS, PRACTICAL, CONSTRUCTIVE CO-OPERATION WITH CHINA AND CHINESE CAN AND SHOULD TAKE PLACE.

FORWARD

SEE

US

OFFICIALS

QUESTION: WHY DID YOU NOT RELEASE THE FULL MINUTES OF THE TALKS? CAN PEOPLE JUDGE IF THEY ONLY GET AN EDITED VERSION?

GOVERNOR: I THINK, AS YOU KNOW, LIKE OTHER DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATIONS DIFFERENT FROM ANY OTHERS, THERE ISN'T AN AGREED MINUTE

EACH MEETING,

IF SO, EVEN YOU STILL HAVE

YOU

HOW

NO

TAKEN AFTER OTHER THE

AND

то

TO WERE

PRODUCE ALL

DOCUMENTATION,

IN INTERPRETATION DIFFERENCES

TWO DOCUMENTS ANALYSES, I THINK WHAT'S QUITE INTERESTING ABOUT THE THAT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IS THAT PEOPLE CAN LOOK FROM ONE DOCUMENT

ARE THE THE OTHER AND BY AND LARGE, WITH SOME EXCEPTIONS, THE FACTS

AND SAME IN BOTH. BUT THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF DIFFERENCE IN OPINION JUDGMENT AND THAT IS WHERE THE ARGUMENT UNDOUBTEDLY FOCUSES. I THE SADNESS IS THAT AFTER 17 ROUNDS OF TALKS WHICH WE'VE PROPOSED, DIDN'T GET VERY FAR. BUT I REPEAT THAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE US THE NEXT WEEKS EXCHANGING FURTHER ARGUMENTS AND DEBATING POINTS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST. I'D LIKE TO GET ON WITH THE FUTURE.

THINK WE

SPEND ABOUT

QUESTION: SIR LEON BRITTAN IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE TORY GOVERNMENT BECAUSE HE IS A NATIVE OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, SO HE IS NOT SPEAKING AS THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER?

/GOVERNOR: I