XN000022-1994-12-11 — Page 3

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street.

Mr Patten hoped that people would remember that co-operation was a two-way

"We are cheerfully marching down our side of the street and I hope that others are coming toward us," he added.

End/Sunday, December 11, 1994

Transcript of Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, before his departure for Korea on an official visit this (Sunday) morning:

Governor: Good morning. I'm going, as you know, today for a brief visit to Korea and Japan. Korea and Japan are two of our most important business and trade partners and while I'm in Seoul and in Tokyo, I'll be speaking to groups of business leaders. I'll be accompanied by a number of Hong Kong's leading business figures. I'll be putting across our positive message about Hong Kong's success today and, we hope, Hong Kong's success in the future. I'll be meeting political leaders as well as business and economic leaders and, of course, speaking to the press frequently during my visit. It's important for us to continue to strengthen our trade links in the region particularly with other members of APEC. I'm starting off in Korea where we have been backing the bid by Minister Kim to become the first Director-General of the World Trade Organisation. We think it would be an excellent thing if the WTO began with a director-general from our region, underlining the importance of our region to the development of world trade and underlining as well this region's commitment to free trade and free trade principles which, we hope, will be followed by the rest of the world as well.

Question: Mr Patten, Mr Lu Ping said yesterday that there will be no through train for the judges in the Court of Final Appeal. Could you comment on that?

Governor: I was slightly surprised by the reports this morning to that effect. I was pleased that Director Lu underlined the importance of the 1991 agreement on the Court of Final Appeal but I was slightly surprised by reported remarks which seemed to be, in fact, contradictions to Basic Law Article 93. We'll be discussing the Court of Final Appeal in the meeting of the JLG which is taking place later this week in London and, obviously, we'd like to have clarifications of that remark. People in Hong Kong want to have more certainty and more confidence about the future, particularly in relation to the rule of law. No body wants to see that confidence undermined.