MR CHRIS, PATTEN ́S INTERVIEW ON RADIO 4
CHRIS TSDAY 16 MARCH 1993
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HKB 301/1
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REGISTRY
"TODAY" PROGRAMME:
29 M. 1933
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
Cay Dept
Copredia
64
It's hard to think of a parallel in history, a tiny fiercely capitalist city state is to be handed over to the control of a huge communist power. In only 4 years from now Hong Kong will be part of China. Relations between Britain, Hong Kong and China in this critical period are the worst they've been. Some in Hong Kong, and it would seem everyone in China blame the Governor,
Chris Patten, as he ploughs determinedly on with his plans for
more democracy in the colony against the wishes of Peking. A few
minutes ago I spoke to Mr Patten and I put to him the comments of the Chinese Premier, Li Peng, yesterday that he was acting perfidiously.
Well, there have been a lot of charges thrown at us in the last
few months but alas not much by way of constructive views about the way forward or positive proposals for the way forward. What we're alas having is really two arguments, the larger one isn't about some great extension of democracy, it's about whether the
arrangements for the last elections under British sovereignty should be fair and open and acceptable to the people of Hong Kong. The more immediate argument is about whether, when we talk about those arrangements, Hong Kong government officials
should for the first time in a decade be cut out of the British
team for the talks. Now those are both matters of principle which we're pursuing with moderation and reason, and we're certainly not throwing adjectives around.
But what are you achieving by upsetting the Chinese, given that they are easily upset over this issue, what are you achieving by
it?
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I
What we're trying to do isn't to have an argument, what we're trying to do is to ensure that the elections in 1994 and 1995 are credible and produce a credible, broadly based Legislative Council, not one that's rigged, not one that's a rubber stamp. think that is very important to the successful implementation of the Joint Declaration which was the historic agreement reached
between Britain and China. It's important to maintain the rule
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