XN000022-1994-10-18 — Page 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1994

CHIEF SECRETARY GIVES PRESS CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK

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FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, MRS ANSON CHAN, IN NEW YORK ON OCTOBER 17, 1994:

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MRS ANSON CHAN: GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. I'M DELIGHTED TO BE BACK IN NOW YORK AFTER A GAP OF SIX MONTHS. WE ARE THIS TIME CONDUCTING A MAJOR PROMOTIONAL TOUR OF THE UNITED STATES THE BIGGEST THAT WE'VE EVER ATTEMPTED. AND WITHIN MY DELEGATION WE HAVE BUSINESS COMMUNITY LEADERS, WE HAVE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. AND THE PURPOSE OF THIS VISIT IS TO STRENGTHEN AND TO BUILD ON THE VERY CLOSE TIES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE WITH THE UNITED STATES, NOT ONLY ON THE TRADE SIDE, BUT ALSO THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SIDE.

ON

AS PART OF THIS TOUR, IN ADDITION TO EXPLAINING THE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN HONG KONG, WE WILL ALSO WISH TO INTRODUCE THE OTHER ASPECTS OF HONG KONG LIFE THE CULTURAL SIDE. WE WILL BE HAVING A FESTIVAL OF HONG KONG FILMS; AS WELL AS AN EXHIBITION OF SOME OF OUR MORE NOTABLE BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG.

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I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE ACTIVITIES FOR THE REST OF THIS WERK. I'M SURE WE'LL ALL HAVE A VERY, VERY BUSY TIME, BUT WE ARE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE OF THE ALREADY STRONG TIES THAT WE HAVE WITH THE UNITED STATES. AMERICA HAS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF HONG KONG : IN OUR EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT THE JOINT DECLARATION, AND WE HOPE THAT IT

AMERICA WILL REMAIN OUR FRIEND FOR, FOR MANY, MANY YEARS TO COME.

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SO I THINK WITH THOSE FEW PRELIMINARY REMARKS, I SHALL BE VERY HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

QUESTION: I JUST WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WOULD YOU BE MEETING ANY U.S. OFFICIALS TALKING ABOUT HONG KONG POLITICAL DEMOCRACY, PACE OF DEMOCRACY?

MRS ANSON CHAN: I'M NOT MEETING WITH ANY SPECIFIC OFFICIALS, BUT OF COURSE I WILL BE MEETING WITH PEOPLE IN THE - FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE JUST HAD A VERY USEFUL DISCUSSION WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS. I WILL OF COURSE BE MEETING WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS AND BUSINESS OFFICIALS.

QUESTION: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT, OR MORE DETAILS ABOUT WITH THE OFFICIALS OF COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS?

YOUR MEETING

MRS ANSON CHAN: WE HAD A VERY FRANK AND USEFUL EXCHANGE OF VIEWS OF WHERE HONG KONG SEES ITSELF. GOING, WHAT THE PROSPECTS ARE OF HONG KONG BEING ABLE TO MAINTAIN ITS CURRENT SYSTEMS AND WAY OF LIFE AFTER 1997.

I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLAIN TO THIS GROUP OF EXPERTS - AND THEY ARE EXPERTS ON HONG KONG/CHINA RELATIONSHIP EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. THAT WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO WITHIN THE ADMINISTRATION TO FLESH OUT THE PRINCIPLES LAID DOWN IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW THAT WILL ENSURE THAT AFTER 1997, THE SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF HONG KONG IS IN A POSITION TO FULLY IMPLEMENT THE CONCEPT OF ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS.

/WE DISCUSSED