TNAG-2709-FCO40-3915-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 49

WANT WALE

RESTRICTED

STATEMENT BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT. HON. CHRISTOPHER PATIEN TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL: 12 MARCH 1993

flest

I all apologise

ourable

Me

Laving to postpone my appearance before Yesterday afternoon at such short notice. Appreciate the inconvenience this will have caused

Honourable Members.

as Honourable Members know,

receive

We did,

CO

3 further communication from the Chinese side at about 1 o'clock; we had to consider this urgently during the course of yesterday afternoon, and I would not have been 11 a position to provide the Council with any more

information than I was last week.

am,

in however,

a position to make a

further

statement this afternoon.

Despite our hopes and our best endeavours right until thie afternoon, it has so far still not proved possible to resolve the differences between the British and Chinese gides that stand in the way of talks getting

we consider underway. I particularly regret this, as these differences could and should be resolved quickly. I realise that this news will cause considerable disappointment throughout the community. disappointment that I share, hence the efforts that have made to achieve the progress we would all like

It is a

we

to

see.

(-)

We have made clear since October that we

willing to talk without pre-conditions.

are

That remains

Our

position.