XN000022-1994-10-06 — Page 35

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1994

TO IMPROVE

QUESTION: MRS CHAN, JUDGING FROM SOME INITIAL REACTIONS, IT SEEMS THAT CHINA IS STILL NOT CONVINCED BY THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSALS RELATION WITH THE MAINLAND...?

MRS CHAN: I CAN STRESS AGAIN THAT WE HAVE OUTLINED A NUMBER OF CONCRETE MEASURES FOR CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. I THINK YOU'LL HAVE TO ALLOW TIME FOR OUR PROPOSALS TO BE DIGESTED, TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE CHINESE. WE VERY MUCH HOPE TO BE ABLE TO DEVELOP ON OUR SUGGESTIONS AND I STRESS AGAIN, AS THE GOVERNOR HAS STRESSED, THESE ARE NO MORE THAN PROPOSALS ON OUR PART. IF THE CHINESE FEEL THAT CERTAIN SUGGESTIONS ARE NOT WHAT THEY WISH TO SEE, THEN WE'LL BE VERY HAPPY TO CONSIDER COUNTER-PROPOSALS FOR THEM. BUT I DO STRESS AGAIN, WE ARE VERY SINCERE IN WISHING TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE CHINESE. THERE INDEED, NO ALTERNATIVE TO CO-OPERATION WITH THE CHINESE, OR WITH REMAINING SLIGHTLY UNDER 1,000 DAYS BEFORE SOVEREIGNTY REVERSES, IT IS WHAT THE COMMUNITY WISHES TO SEE AND I CAN ASSURE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT OF OUR FULL CO-OPERATION.

JS. THE

CS TO VISIT CANADA AND U.S.

THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, WILL LEAVE HONG KONG ON SUNDAY (OCTOBER 9) FOR A TWO-WEEK OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES.

MRS CHAN WILL BEGIN HER VISIT IN TORONTO AND LATER FLY TO OTTAWA. IN BOTH CITIES SHE WILL MEET A NUMBER OF FEDERAL AND PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. SHE WILL ALSO ATTEND BUSINESS LUNCHEONS AND A GALA DINNER IN TORONTO.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID RELATIONS BETWEEN CANADA AND HONG KONG HAD ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE. APART FROM BEING MAJOR TRADING PARTNERS, THE TWO COMMUNITIES HAVE ALSO DEVELOPED CLOSE LINKS IN CULTURAL, MIGRATION AND OTHER AREAS.

"THIS VISIT WILL ENABLE MRS CHAN TO BROADEN THE ALREADY TIES BETWEEN OUR TWO COMMUNITIES," THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

STRONG

FOLLOWING HER VISIT TO CANADA, MRS CHAN WILL LEAD A TOP-LEVEL BUSINESS DELEGATION TO THREE CITIES IN THE UNITED STATES, THE SETTING FOR HONG KONG-USA '94 THE BIGGEST PROMOTION HONG KONG HAS EVER HELD IN THE COUNTRY.

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THE WEEK-LONG FESTIVAL, WHICH BEGINS ON OCTOBER 17, IS BEING STAGED IN NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND ATLANTA AND WILL INCLUDE BUSINESS CONFERENCES, GALA DINNERS, FILM FESTIVALS AND AN ARCHITECTURAL EXHIBITION.

AT

THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES JOINTLY ORGANISED BY THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, WERE AIMED ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE UNITED STATES.

THE

IN EACH OF THE THREE CITIES, MRS CHAN WILL DELIVER A KEYNOTE LUNCHEON ADDRESS TO THOSE ATTENDING BUSINESS CONFERENCES UNDER THEME "HONG KONG-BUSINESS PARTNER FOR THE PACIFIC CENTURY".

/SPECIALISED WORKSHOPS