XN000022-1994-11-12 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1994

GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION BEFORE U.S. TRIP

THE

FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS (SATURDAY) MORNING AT THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES LOBBY BEFORE HIS TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES:

GOVERNOR:

OF

SAN

GOOD MORNING, I'M SAVING YOU THE USUAL JOURNEY OUT TO THE AIRPORT. I'M MAKING MY FIRST OFFICIAL VISIT TO THE WEST COAST THE UNITED STATES OVER THE NEXT WEEK. I'M VISITING LOS ANGELES, FRANCISCO AND SEATTLE. IT'S THE FIRST VISIT BY A GOVERNOR TO LOS ANGELES SINCE 1989 AND THE FIRST VISIT TO SAN FRANCISCO AND SEATTLE SINCE 1986. SO I THINK IT IS HIGH TIME THAT WE ENSURED THAT HONG KONG'S BOOMING ECONOMY AND ALL THAT WE ARE DOING HERE TO SECURE OUR FUTURE WERE KNOWN TO SOME OF THOSE WITH WHOM WE HAVE SUCH A GOOD ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL RELATIONSHIP.

THE UNITED STATES, AS I THINK YOU KNOW, IS OUR SECOND LARGEST TRADING PARTNER AFTER CHINA. OUR TOTAL TRADE WITH THE US IS WORTH ABOUT FORTY-ONE BILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS, AND ABOUT A FIFTH OF THAT TRADE IS WITH CALIFORNIA, SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WHICH I REGULARLY SEE HERE: VISITORS FROM CALIFORNIA LIKE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BANK OF AMERICA THAT RELATIONSHIP IS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR US AND ONE THAT WE WANT TO STRENGTHEN.

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I WILL BE MAKING FOUR MAJOR SPEECHES AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SPEECHES. I'M MEETING A LOT OF BUSINESS AND STATE AND CITY LEADERS AND WILL LOOK FORWARD IN PARTICULAR TO MY MEETING WITH GOVERNOR PETE WILSON FOLLOWING HIS RE-ELECTION LAST WEEK. I SAW HIM A FEW MONTHS AGO HERE IN HONG KONG WHEN HE WAS ACCOMPANYING A BUSINESS DELEGATION AND IT WILL BE A GREAT PLEASURE TO MEET HIM ONCE MORE.

I

VERY MUCH HOPE THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THE SUCCESSFUL VISIT WHICH THE CHIEF SECRETARY HAS MADE TO THE UNITED STATES THIS YEAR. SRE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL VISIT, AS YOU WILL RECALL, TO NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON TO LOBBY ABOUT MFN, IN APRIL, AND HAD ANOTHER VERY SUCCESSFUL PROMOTIONAL VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES LAST MONTH, GOING TO CHICAGO AND NEW YORK AND ATLANTA, AND I HOPE THAT WE'LL DO AS WELL ON THE WEST COAST AS SHE DID ON THAT PARTICULAR VISIT. I'M BACK NEXT WEEKEND. NO QUESTIONS?

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, THE CHIEF SECRETARY IS CALLING FOR THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY TO SPEAK UP TO RETAIN HONG KONG'S SUCCESSFUL FACTORS, AND IS IT QUITE DISTURBING FOR THE TIME BEING IF THOSE FACTORS ARE ERODED?

GOVERNOR :

I THINK WHAT THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID ON THAT SUBJECT WAS IMMENSELY SENSIBLE AND I THINK THERE ARE MANY MEMBERS OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY WHO SHARE THAT VIEW.

QUESTION:

JALA

IS A HIGH DEGREE OF AUTONOMY IN 1997 THE ADMINISTRATION HAS FORESEEN IT TO BE EROUING?

HONG KONG

/GOVERNOR: