XN000022-1996-04-02 — Page 3

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Question: Mr Patten, you're going to London. Is it time to ask the Foreign Office or ask Mr Major to make good on his promise to mobilise international support should China break any of its promises re Hong Kong?

Governor: The commitment by the Prime Minister and by the British Government remains and there is no particular reason why I have to raise that again with the Prime Minister this Easter. Everybody knows what our position is. Everybody knows our strong determination to do everything we can to ensure that the Joint Declaration is fully implemented in the letter and the spirit. That commitment stands and that commitment will remain.

Question: When do you think that the Government will respond to the Preparatory Committee on the matter of co-operation with the PC?

Governor: Some of you alas weren't able to get up early enough this morning to ask me questions on this issue after the Executive Council meeting. But I answered a couple before. I slipped away to finish my work.

Question: But should we wait after your return from the Easter?

Governor: No. Let me answer the question because it's a good and important question. I don't say this in a provocative way, but we have been waiting since last October to hear from those who are working at the Preparatory Committee on things that they would like us to do to help them. So I don't think they will be expecting as it were a reply by return of post. It's equally true that there are issues on which we would like co-operation from them. There are things that would make our life a lot easier, for example, notice about when the Preparatory Committee and its sub- committees are going to meet and some indication of what their overall work plan is. Now there are some issues that have been raised with this which are urgent and which relate to meetings which are just the other side of Easter. So we'll want to respond on those issues as quickly as possible. But overall we'll respond when we'll have a chance of reviewing all the issues that have been raised with this. Some of them I have to say we want to go back and ask for more information from the Preparatory Committee about. But we'll give a comprehensive reply in due course and that will be within the parameters which we've laid down with which you are familiar and I don't need to repeat them. I imagine those parameters are acceptable to Chinese officials. For example, I recall Mr Xu last December making it absolutely clear that the Preparatory Committee wasn't seeking to challenge the authority of Government before 30th June 1997.

Question: Was the list presented an ultimatum or was it a request?