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Patten, Chris
Patten, Chris (b. 12 May 1944), Governor of Hong Kong, 1992–7. EU Commissioner for External Relations, 1999– Educated at Balliol College, Oxford, where he read Modern History, Pattern joined the Conservative Party and in 1966 joined its research department. During the Prime Ministership of Edward Heath, he joined the Cabinet Office, and in 1972 he became a political advisor in the home office. He became a Member of Parliament in 1979, and during the Thatcher years he rose only gradually through a succession of junior ministerial posts, since he was in the moderate wing of the party. As Chairman of the Conservative Party from 1990, he confounded all expectation by engineering a narrow win for John Major in 1992. Ironically, however, he was one of the few sitting MPs to be unseated, whereupon Major made him the last governor of Hong Kong. Before the Crown Colony's handover to China, Patten tried to strengthen its fledgling democratic institutions. As Commissioner for External Relations, he became highly regarded despite – or perhaps because of – his penchant for speaking his mind in careful, but clear language. He established a close partnership with his EU-counterpart, Solana, and in this way contributed greatly to the Commission's prestige internationally, and among the EC member states themselves.
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Cite this article
JAN PALMOWSKI. "Patten, Chris." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JAN PALMOWSKI. "Patten, Chris." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-PattenChris.html JAN PALMOWSKI. "Patten, Chris." A Dictionary of Contemporary World History. 2004. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O46-PattenChris.html |
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Patten, Christopher Francis
Patten, Christopher Francis (1944– ) British politician, last British governor of Hong Kong (1992–97). He held many ministerial portfolios during the 1980s and, as chairman of the Conservative Party (1990–92), he helped engineer a Conservative victory in the 1992 election, but lost his own seat. As governor of Hong Kong, Patten sought to preserve its political and economic institutions in the handover to China.
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Cite this article
"Patten, Christopher Francis." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 30 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Patten, Christopher Francis." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 30, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-PattenChristopherFrancis.html "Patten, Christopher Francis." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved May 30, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-PattenChristopherFrancis.html |
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