TNAG-2748-FCO40-3963-Visits-by-Chris-Patten--Governor-of-Hong-Kong--to-other-coun-1993 — Page 71

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INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, BTC HONG KONG INFO PRIORITY WASHINGTON

HONG KONG/US/CHINA: GOVERNOR'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON: LOCAL MEDIA COVERAGE

SUMMARY

1.

SILENCE FROM THE PEOPLE'S DAILY, BUT THE CHINA DAILY GIVES A FACTUAL REPORT OF THE MEETING BETWEEN THE GOVERNOR AND PRESIDENT INCLUDING ELEMENTS WHICH WILL STICK IN OFFICIAL CHINESE GULLETS.

DETAIL

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2. CHINA DAILY (5 MAY) CARRIED A FRONT PAGE REPORT ON THE MFN ASPECT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEETING WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON. THE PRESIDENT IS REPORTED AS HAVING HOPED THAT THE US COULD MAINTAIN THE MAXIMUM GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CHINESE. HE COULD NOT YET SAY WHAT THE STATE OF SINO-US RELATIONS WOULD BE BY THE TIME A DECISION NEEDED TO BE TAKEN ON MFN (THERE HAD BEEN SOME ENCOURAGING CHINESE MOVES RECENTLY), BUT NOTED THAT CHINA'S SUCCESSFUL ECONOMIC REFORMS MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR, RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND MOVEMENT TOWARD A MORE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.

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3. MR PATTEN IS REPORTED AS HAVING TOLD THE PRESIDENT THAT HONG KONG WOULD BE HURT ECONOMICALLY IF THE US WITHDREW CHINA'S MFN STATUS OR ATTACHED CONDITIONS TO ITS RENEWAL. HE SAID THAT HE HAD MADE A CASE FOR UNCONDITIONAL RENEWAL BUT DID NOT GET AN IMPRESSION EITHER WAY ON WHETHER THERE WOULD BE CONDITIONS.

4.

THE PAPER REPORTED THAT THE PRESIDENT HAD SUPPORTED THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL REFORM PROPOSALS AND HAD SAID THAT THEY WERE WELL-FOUNDED. MR PATTEN HAD WELCOMED THE PRESIDENT'S PERSONAL CONCERN AND INTEREST IN HONG KONG AND HIS COMMITMENT TO THAT.

5. PEOPLE'S DAILY HAS NOT CARRIED ANY REPORT OF THE MEETING.

COMMENT

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