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Governor meets Canadian Prime Minister in Tokyo
The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Friday) met the Canadian Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Jean Chretien, in Tokyo to discuss Hong Kong issues.
Mr Chretien is on a state visit to Japan.
The Governor and the Prime Minister discussed a range of transitional issues including Hong Kong's economic prospects, the civil service and the Police.
Mr Patten said later that he took the opportunity to assure Mr Chretien that things in Hong Kong at this stage of the transition were looking a lot better than many people would have predicted a few years ago.
On visa-free access, Mr Patten noted that the Canadian Government had already agreed in principle to provide visa-free access for Hong Kong passport holders after July 1, 1997.
He said that following the recent agreement with Canada signed in Hong Kong on the returnability of passport holders, a final announcement by the Canadian Government on the question of visa-free access was expected soon.
Mr Patten noted that Mr Chretien and other Canadian officials raised the Hong Kong issue and Canada's interest in a successful transition, when they talked to Chinese leaders. The Governor welcomed this as an indication of international concern about Hong Kong's future.
The meeting was also attended by Mr Raymond Chan, Secretary of State (Asia Pacific) of the Canadian Government.
Later in the morning, the Governor had a meeting with members of the Japan Hong Kong Parliamentarian League before attending a lunch hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Tokyo for Japanese businessmen and officials.
Mr Patten then went to Osaka in the afternoon, where he attended a reception of Kansai political and business leaders.
He will spend tomorrow (Saturday) in Kyoto before returning Hong Kong on Sunday (December 1).
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