TNAG-2767-FCO40-3984-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-interviews--press-briefings-and-the--1993 — Page 41

04-HPR-1993

12:13

Gallagher

MR CHRIS PATTEN INT DAVID FROST

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0491 579838

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LONDON 4 APRIL 1993

MR PATTEN:

I do not know whether LEGCO will castrate it or give it more of

what castrating would take away from it I have to be careful

what I say for Sunday morning viewing. What I know, or what I am

certain of, is that it is right for people in Hong Kong to be involved in discussing and debating these things. There is no

question about Chinese sovereignty being threatened by people in Hong Kong being involved in the debate about their own future, that is what happens in every community.

INTERVIEWER:

What do you feel about Michael Jones in the Sunday Times this morning talking about the former Chief Secretary and former Acting Governor, Sir David Akers-Jones, who says that our policy, or indeed you have "gone off the rails". And he says of the fact

that Sir David has joined this group of 49 Peking advisers: be without parallel in British imperial history".

"must

MR PATTEN:

I am not sure whether it is without parallel, Michael actually knows a good deal about Hong Kong, he used to I think write from Westminster for a Hong Kong newspaper and he is very knowledgeable about Hong Kong. Whether it is without parallel or not, I do not

think Sir David's views have changed much down the years, I think he has always taken much the view that he is taking at the moment and that has not always been a view shared by his colleagues.