TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 110

17-MAR-1993

18:12

HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE

852 521 1868

P.04

Trans crypt - 3

WELL, AFTER WE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT, MR CHRIS PATTEN STILL DECIDED TO GO AHEAD WITH THE GAZETTING. THIS SHOWS THAT HE IS STUBBORNLY CLINGING TO HIS PLAN. AFTER HIS MOVE THE TALKS BETWEEN OUR TWO COUNTRIES HAVE LOST THE BASIS.

SECONDLY, CHINA AND BRITAIN HAVE AN AGREEMENT. THAT IS THE PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN WITH REGARD TO THE ARRANGEMENT FOR THE FORMAL TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO: GOVERNMENTS SHOULD BE KEPT 'SECRET. HOWEVER, IN HIS STATEMENT TO THE LEGCO ON 12 MARCH, MR PATTEN MADE PUBLIC ALL THE CONTENTS OF THE PRIVATE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN IN PREPARATION FOR THE TALKS AND IN PARTICULAR HE MADE FUBLIC THE DIFFERENCES THAT OCCURRED IN THE COURSE OF THE CONSULTATIONS. SO HE HAS VIOLATED THE PRINCIPLE OF CONFIDENTIALITY. THIS ONCE AGAIN PROVES THAT HE HAS 'SHUT THE DOOR' TALKS BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES. ACTUALLY THERE IS NOT ONLY ONE DOOR, THERE ARE TWO DOORS. BOTH OF WHICH HAVE. BEEN CLOSED 3% CHRIS PATTEN. UNDER SUCH. CIRCUMSTANCES IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO GO AHEAD WITH THE TALKS.

IN

THAT IS WHY WE BELIEVE THAT THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD

BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERMINING THE TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN AND I BELIEVE THAT GOVERNOR PATTEN IS WELL AWARE OF THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES. AS PREMIER LI PENG SAID THE BRITISH SIDE ALONE SHOULD BEAR THE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR ALL THE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES ARISING THEREFROM. IN TAKING THIS MOVE GOVERNOR PATTEN HAS SIMPLY DISREGARDED THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. WHEN GOVERNOR PATTEN AND I FIRST MET BEIJING THE FIRST SENTENCE THAT I SAID IS THAT "WELL I HOPE THE BEST WAY TO START OUR TALKS WE SHOULD CAST ASIDE THE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS IN PARTICULAR, PERSONAL CONSIDERATIONS SO THAT WE CAN REALLY WORK FOR THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG, DO SOME GOOD THINGS FOR THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND OUR TWO SIDES SHOULD MAKE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR THE LONG-TERM STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG." I SAID THAT ONLY IN THIS WAY CAN WE ENSURE THAT THERE WILL BE PROGRESS IN OUR TALKS. REGRETTABLY, HOWEVER, GOVERNOR PATTEN HAS SIMPLY REFUSED TO CONSIDER THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. IF HE WERE TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE INTERESTS HONG KONG HE WOULD NOT HAVE TAKEN THE STEP THAT HE HAS TAKEN WHICH HAS SHUT THE DOOR OF THE TALKS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN. WE EXPRESS OUR DEEP REGRET OVER THIS MOVE.

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