U.S. and Hong Kong (1985-1997)

DEPARTURE REMARKS BY PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON

TOPIC: TAX PROPOSAL
9:45 A.M. EDT
MONDAY, JUNE 30, 1997

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

Q: Mr. President, would you tell us what you think, sir --

Q: (Inaudible) -- from Secretary Albright to the Chinese -- the Chinese will stick to their end of the bargain on maintaining democracy in Hong Kong during this transition?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, Secretary Albright is there, as you know. And what we have is the agreement, the 1984 agreement, that the Chinese and the British asked the United States to support, and we did. And we expect that they will honor that agreement.

Q: Do you think it's worth having the troops -- marching in is a good sign?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, it's a concern I think. But we don't know yet that they intend to violate the agreement. They may be concerned about disruption, disorder. We'll just have to see what happens. But we will monitor it very closely.

And everybody in the world knows what the agreement was; it's probably the most well-publicized agreement of its kind in modern history. And everybody has a pretty good feel for not only the economic but the political system of Hong Kong.

Q: Did you watch the ceremony this morning?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: I did not. I was not able to do it.

[ ...Intervening Text... ]

Q: Getting back to Hong Kong, is there any reason that you have to believe that the Chinese would allow what would amount to an enclave of dissent in Hong Kong?

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Well, the agreement says that there will be one China and two systems. And it's hard to have a system with free elections and freedom of speech and an open press without dissent. Just look around here. I mean, people just have different views of things. (Laughs.) I can't -- I can't imagine how you could -- how you could have it any other way.

Thank you very much.

Q: Thank you.

END