XN000022-1996-05-30 — Page 3

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Statement by the Governor in LegCo

Following is a statement by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, in the Legislative Council today (Thursday) on his visit to Canada and the United States:

I should like to brief the Council on my official visit to Canada from 30 April to 3 May and to the United States from 3 May to 10 May.

In Canada I met the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Minister for International Trade, the Secretary of State for Asia Pacific and other political figures. I addressed a number of large gatherings including a lunch for about 1200 people in Vancouver and a gala dinner for over 500 in Toronto.

My main purpose in Canada was to promote the case for visa-free access for SAR passport holders. I am glad to say that the Canadian Government accepted this case in principle though they made it clear that there were a number of detailed points which they wanted to have sorted out before they could reach a final view. These related principally to returnability, where we are in the process of providing reassurances to the Canadian Government, and to the question of right of abode, where we hope that expert talks with Chinese officials will provide the clarifications which Canada, together with other countries and the community here in Hong Kong, are seeking.

In the United States, I addressed large meetings in New York and then I went on to Washington where I made speeches to the National Press Club and the Heritage Foundation and had meetings with senior members of the Administration. I met the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary for the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Chairman of the National Security Council, the Chairman of the Economic Council, and other senior officials. On Capitol Hill, I had discussions with Senator Dole and the leadership of the Republican Party in the Senate; Senator Daschle, the Democratic Leader in the Senate; the majority leadership in the House of Representatives; the Senate Foreign Relations Committee; the House International Relations Committee; the House Ways and Means Committee; and many other congressmen.