XN000022-1995-03-31 — Page 3

Transcript of Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Friday) after opening the exhibition "Focus at the Frontline" presented by the Hong Kong Press Photographers' Association:

Question: The Chinese side insisted that the 1996-97 Budget, the British side should fully consult the Chinese side's opinion and then the next Budget the Chinese side should play the leading role. What is your position on that?

Governor: I think the Financial Secretary is making a statement about that. Indeed, I think he has already done so, so I'll leave it to him.

Question: Mr Patten, what are your greatest concerns now about the seizure of the two vessels by the Chinese?

Governor: All of us want, I think, to avoid if at all possible, an incident like the one that most unfortunately occurred the other day becoming the focus for mounting concern. So I think we want, first of all, to keep that incident in perspective. We used to count the number of incursions into our waters each year in the 30s, 40s, even 50s. In 1993 we brought the number of incidents down and there were about 15 incidents; last year there were seven incidents; and this most unfortunate incident the other day was the first this year and indeed, the first since last October. So the first point I want to make is that clearly, the Chinese side and the Chinese officials have been trying hard to reduce the number of incidents that occur like this one. But any incident is one too many.

very

We are obviously seeing what lessons we need to learn from what has happened. So far as the Chinese side are concerned, we obviously view what has happened with considerable anxiety, considerable concern. We have protested both here in Hong Kong and in London and in Peking. We want to see the incident resolved as rapidly as possible and to be able to go on attempting to eliminate any incidents like this and that has been our purpose throughout.

But clearly, there has been a change in the Chinese explanation of what's happened. The first description of what happened has now been adjusted and we are told that the Hong Kong vessels with Hong Kong crewmen on board were first of all arrested in Chinese waters, and now we are told they were forcibly being escorted through Hong Kong waters when the incident occurred. Well, if they were being forcibly escorted through Hong Kong waters, I don't think there is any real doubt that the jurisdiction is a matter for Hong Kong, so I very much hope that the vessels and the men on board will be returned to Hong Kong as soon as possible and that will enable us to close the book on this particular incident and get on with what we all want to do which is to see these sort of matters eliminated completely.