XN000022-1994-11-12 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1994

INFRASTRUCTURE MEETING POSITIVE AND SUCCESSFUL: GOVERNOR

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, SAID THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING HE WAS EXTREMELY PLEASED BY THE POSITIVE CONTENT OF THE MEETING HELD EARLIER THIS WEEK IN PEKING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINESE OFFICIALS ON INFRASTRUCTURE,

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES LOBBY BEFORE HIS OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE WEST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES, MR PATTEN SAID:" I THINK THAT WAS A VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL MEETING AND I HOPE THAT VERY SOON WE WILL BE ABLE TO WRAP UP ISSUES LIKE THE REMIT OF THE NEW PROPOSED COMMITTEE AND GET DOWN TO THE BUSINESS OF TALKING AND ABOUT CROSS-BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE, ABOUT TALKING ON ROAD AND RAIL SO ON, WITH OUR CHINESE COLLEAGUES.

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ELABORATING ON THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE, THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS NOT A COMMITTEE OR A WORKING GROUP WHICH WOULD IN ANY WAY DETRACT FROM HONG KONG'S LEGITIMATE AUTONOMY.

"ITS INTENTION IS TO SPEED UP DECISION-MAKING RATHER THAN TO SLOW DECISION-MAKING DOWN, THOUGH IT'S NOT ITSELF A DECISION — MAKING BODY,' MR PATTEN SAID.

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"BUT I THINK IT'S A VERY WELCOME DEVELOPMENT AND MAY, FOR EXAMPLE, ENSURE THAT WE DON'T FACE A SITUATION IN WHICH BRIDGES TURNING UP IN HONG KONG WITHOUT US KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THEM.

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WHETHER ASKED

THE GOVERNMENT HAD ACTUALLY AGREED THAT

BE COMMITTEE

SET UP, THE GOVERNOR SAID: ". WE'VE GOT NO DOUBT THAT A COMMITTEE LIKE THIS WOULD BE WHOLLY DESIRABLE, BUT I THINK NEED PROBABLY ANOTHER MEETING TO AGREE FINALLY ON THE NUTS AND BUT WE ARE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE APPROACH AND ARE DELIGHTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE BEEN SO POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE AS WELL.

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BOLTS.

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IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION AS TO WHETHER HE WOULD VETO THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL BILL SHOULD LEGCO AMEND IT, MR PATTEN

WE SAID: "

INTEND,

WE CAN, TO PERSUADE THE COMMUNITY AND PERSUADE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF OUR WISDOM IN PUTTING FORWARD THE LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS ON THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL, AND I HOPE WE SUCCEED, I THINK IT'S IN THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY THAT WE SHOULD .."

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WISHED TO GET THE BILL THROUGH DURING THIS SESSION.

"THE PROBLEM OF THE TIMETABLE IS IMPLACABLE. UNLESS WE HAVE LEGAL THE COURT UP AND RUNNING BY THE MIDDLE OF 1996, WE WILL FACE A VACUUM AT THE TOP OF OUR LEGAL STRUCTURE BECAUSE THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE OF THE PRIVY COUNCIL TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO CONSIDER CASES, WHICH MEANS THAT FROM ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF 1996 THEY WOULD FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO HANDLE HONG KONG CASES, SO WE'VE GOT TO GET THE COURT AND RUNNING BEFORE THEN," HE ADDED.

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