HONG KONG: GOVERNOR CHRIS PATTEN SPEECH

English/Nat Hong Kong's Governor Chris Patten hinted on Thursday that British Prime Minister Tony Blair may meet Chinese President Jiang Zemin at the territory's handover ceremony on June 30. Blair confirmed Wednesday that he would attend the handover but said he would not be present at the inauguration of Beijing's hand picked legislature. U-S Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is taking a similar stand in what is being seen as a rebuff to China's refusal to allow Hong Kong a fully democratic parliament. The Chinese appointed Provisional Legislature will replace Hong Kong's elected assembly from July 1 when Beijing resumes sovereignty over the territory after 156 years of British rule. Moments before he delivered one of his last public speeches in Hong Kong on Thursday, the territory's Governor Chris Patten hinted at the possibility of a meeting between British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chinese President Jiang Zemin. SOUNDBITE: (English) "As I said yesterday (Wednesday - 11 June), we're delighted that they're coming. I'm delighted Mr. (Tony) Blair is coming as well. I very much hope that they will meet while they're here." SUPER CAPTION: Chris Patten, governor of Hong Kong Blair said Wednesday he would attend the handover ceremony, but it was made clear he would leave before the Beijing appointed provisional legislature is sworn in. A China-controlled committee overseeing Hong Kong's handover process decided two weeks ago to hold the provisional legislature's inauguration at the same time as the handover ceremony on June 30. Patten has said he hopes China will back down on its plan to swear in the new parliament just after the handover. In his speech to the American Chamber of Commerce, Patten sent a veiled warning to Beijing and the incoming leadership against interfering in Hong Kong's economy. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Indispensable to maintaining a well tuned, high performance economy will be a light hand, keeping out the political pressures and the special interests, being guided by the good discipline of the market." SUPER CAPTION: Chris Patten, governor of Hong Kong However Patten said he had a great deal of faith in the Hong Kong people to cope successfully with the new leadership. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I'm deeply saddened by the decisions of China's leaders not to trust to the moderate legislature that fair elections established here, to raise questions over their inheritance of the Joint Declaration by appointing an unneeded replacement, and to weaken the legitimacy of Hong Kong's system of administration by so doing. Yet even now my heart is full of hope, hope for the people of Hong Kong, because of what I have learned from them and learned about them in the last five years. Hope because the values that underpin Hong Kong are on the rise throughout this region and hope as well that the people and the values of Hong Kong will go on rising, too." SUPER CAPTION: Chris Patten, governor of Hong Kong The optimism Patten expressed at the end of his speech has echoed throughout the business community - which for the most part has maintained that Hong Kong will continue to flourish. SOUNDBITE: (English) "We're very optimistic about doing business in Hong Kong after the handover. We're very confident that Hong Kong will continue to do extremely well." SUPER CAPTION: Richard Weisman, businessman SOUNDBITE: (English) "I believe there will be some difference, in the way that things get done and the way that they (China) approach things, but I think (Hong Kong Chief Executive designate) Tung Chee-hwa will have a lot of creative ways to manage the business and relationship between the American community and Hong Kong." You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/d31681e3888d2c1f8274f21047c8fa90 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork