XN000022-1996-12-21+22 — Page 3

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Question: You said yesterday China is sick, can you elaborate ?

Governor. No, I said that this procedure was stomach-turning. That's what I said. I think that some Chinese language, well, one Chinese language newspaper said the proceedings in Shenzhen are a farce. I think everybody knows that you don't have to see it on television this morning for a nanosecond to know what is going on as people nominate one another as they vote for themselves and vote for each other. It's only a few months ago, less than 18 months that the leader of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, here in Hong Kong, was saying that he would deplore, that was his word, he would deplore anybody who having been defeated for this Legislative Council tried to get in by the back door into the provisional legislature. What's happening today? What's he doing today? What a member of the Democratic Alliance is doing today? I wonder whether he still deplores that sort of action.

Question: When will the British Government put the problem to the International Court of Justice?

Governor: What we've said it will be interesting to see whether China responds to this straight forward challenge. What we've said is that if China is so confident in its position, then let it go for independent arbitration to the International Court of Justice with us. It actually takes two countries, two parties to a treaty to go to the ICJ. And if China is so convinced of its own sense of reality then let it go to the ICJ with us. We'll just see what the outcome is.

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US Special 301 "Out-of-Cycle" Review on Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Government notes that the US Trade Representative (Ag.USTR) has just announced the outcome of the US Special 301 "Out-of-Cycle". Review on Hong Kong, amongst other trading partners, in respect of intellectual property protection, in which Hong Kong will not be placed on the watch list.

"We are pleased to note that due recognition has been given by the Acting USTR to Hong Kong's determination to solve the piracy problem and the steps taken by the Hong Kong Government to tackle piracy," a spokesman for the Trade and Industry Branch today (Saturday) said.