XN000022-1995-05-12 — Page 3

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Transcript of the Governor's media session

The following is a transcript of the Governor the Rt Hon Christopher Patten's media session after opening the Methodist Shelter for Domestic Workers today (Friday):

Question: Mr Patten, what is you birthday wish?

Governor: I hope that we have a happy and successful and prosperous year in Hong Kong. I very much enjoy my last year. Hong Kong is a wonderful place to live in and I want it to remain as great a place in the future. I also hope that I'll have a nice dinner tonight.

Question: As we can remember on your birthday last year, you said that you wanted to meet with Director Lu Ping. But during the last year, your hope hasn't come true. Are you disappointed with that?

Governor: I think Hong Kong is probably disappointed. As you know under the Airport Memorandum of Understanding, there's an obligation on us to meet regularly and I think there is a moral obligation on us to try to work together. You look around the world and everywhere else you see people trying to sort out much bigger problems than we have here in Hong Kong. Problems that have often led to bloodshed and disaster. They try to sit down at the table even if they have disagreements and sort things out together. We should be doing that more positively and more constructively here in Hong Kong. So we've held out our hand and I hope that one day it will be taken by Chinese officials and that they will hold out their hand as well.

Question: Do you want to receive any present from the Chinese side?

Governor: I don't think they are likely to send me any presents. They haven't sent me a present so far. The best present would be the assurance that they would co-operate with the Government of Hong Kong during the transition. It's puzzling I think for some people that we hear Chinese officials saying again and again that they want to know more about this and more about that, that they want us to work with them more on this and more on that. But here they are, coming to Hong Kong, and they are not talking to the people who are responsible for the Hong Kong Government and administration and will be for the next couple of years. I think people sometimes feel that are rather puzzling contradictions. But even no cake, no card, no present, I very much hope that the Director will have a successful visit to Hong Kong. I hope that the weather will be nice. I hope that he will meet as wide a cross section of the community as possible. I hope he will hear all the voices. And I hope that he will be able to give reassurances about the Court of Final Appeal, about civil service issues, about the financial support agreements which when he was in America he said would be settled within a few days. So I hope he will be able to give some reassurances while he is here. But I hope he will have a successful visit and I hope that very sincerely and I hope he will come more frequently in the future.