LAST PAPER
HKB 02017
211290
بق
Ha/Singapore
fin
Governor asks for
Chinese expert team
report on collapse in Shenzhen
THE owners of old and new buildings must check the safety of their build- ings and must maintain and keep them up to standard, the Governor, Sir David Wilson said, the media reported yesterday.
Sir David said that that was the way to try to avoid the sort of appalling accident such as the collapse of a canopy in To Kwa Wan on Friday.
Sir David stressed that it was not just during construction of
of a building that was important, but maintaining it was also crucial. He added that prop- erty owners had a real responsibility for the safety of their buildings.
Asked if something urgent should be done because of the shortage of building inspectors and the recent collapse of an old building in Sheung Wan, Sir David pointed out that it was physically impossible to have build- ing inspectors going around inspect- ing every single building every year in Hong Kong.
Lee on Chief Executive
REMARKS made by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on the choice of candidate for the Chief Executive for the HK SAR received good cover- age in the media yesterday.
Speaking on ATV, Mr Lee said that HK did not need a strong man for the job as there would be too many strong men in Peking.
in Peking. He said HK needed someone who could deal with Peking and be able to strike a balance between Peking's economic demands and HK's social and economic de- mands, not political ones.
He said that Baroness Dunn would be too British as she was a peer and Martin Lee had lost his eligibility when he was dismissed from the Basic Law Drafting Committee. He said that the Chief Executive should be a modera- tor. not a politician.
(From front page) standing position.
Also attending the last day's meeting were Financial Secretary Sir Piers Jacobs, Secretary for Economic Services Anson Chan ani other mem- bers of the Chinese team of experts.
The media reported today that the Chinese team of experts had left KK. It was noted that the experts went to Shenzhen to visit the Huanglian Airport.
Speaking upon departure for Shenzhen, Chinese team spokesman Luo Jiahuan said that the experts noted that many people still had differ- ent views regarding the site, the scale and financial arrangements for the Chek Lap Kok Airport project. Mr Luo said that these views were construc- tive
He urged the British-HK Govern- ment to seriously consider the various views and positive proposals. He hoped that the British-HK administration would not make any decision hastily.
Mr Luo denied reports that they had already expressed support for building the new airport at Chek
Chek Lap Kok, adding that such remarks were groundless.
Another membe: of the team, Zuo Mu. also denied that the Chinese had already agreed that the second airport should be built at Chek Lap Kok.
Meanwhile, today's papers said that the leader of the Chinese experts. Yong Longgui, who was injured during his visit in HK, was still in Queen Mary Hospital.
The Association for Democracy of HK said in a statement yesterday that it regretted that the Government had unilaterally announced its deci- sion on building the Tsing Ma bridge by itself in a bid to make the project a fait accompli. Ta Kung Pao reported.