THERE R.
AL REYES : SECOND QUESTION, WAS THERE ANY REASON WHY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT COULD NOT HAVE SENT A REPRESENTATIVE IN THE LAST STAGES OF THE TALKS ?
THE GOVERNOR: THAT WAS JUST THE WAY THAT IT WORKED OUT AT THE END. BUT IT DOESN'T CAUSE ME ANY PROBLEM BECAUSE, AS I SAID EARLIER, IT'S WHAT YOU GET AS A RESULT RATHER THAN WHO IS ACTUALLY DOING THE TALKING THAT'S IMPORTANT. ALSO,
ALSO, THE VERY CLOSE INVOLVEMENT OF HONG KONG WHICH TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT THAT FINAL STAGE.
MAU CHI-WANG (HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL MONTHLY) : I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. MY FIRST QUESTION IS, I HAVE AN INTERESTED IN THE ROLE OF BANK OF CHINA. · CAN YOU ELABORATE MORE? WHAT'S THE ROLE OF BANK OF CHINA IN THE FUTURE WHEN COMPARED WITH HONG KONG BANK AND CHARTERED BANK IN TERMS OF BALANCE OF POWER ? THIS IS MY FIRST QUESTION.
THE GOVERNOR: IN THIS AGREEMENT, LET ME DEAL WITH THE AGREEMENT FIRST. THERE ARE TWO ELEMENTS WHICH INVOLVE THE BANK OF CHINA; ONE IS THAT I HAVE SAID THAT I AM WILLING TO APPOINT ONTO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY SOMEBODY FROM THE BANK OF CHINA GROUP EMPLOYED HERE LOCALLY IN HONG KONG, THAT'S THE BANK OF CHINA GROUP - EITHER THE BANK OF CHINA OR ONE OF THE WHAT IS SOMETIMES CALLED SISTER BANKS AND THEN THERE IS THE PROVISION THAT THE BANK OF CHINA WILL BE WILLING TO TAKE PART IN SYNDICATING LOANS AND THAT SORT OF THING WHICH WILL GIVE I THINK A MEASURE OF CONFIDENCE TO OTHER BANKERS. YOUR BROADER QUESTION, MUCH MUCH HARDER TO ANSWER AND I DON'T THINK I CAN PRODUCE AN ANSWER FOR THAT WE'VE GOT TWO BANKS THAT YOU ARE REFERRING TO - BANK OF CHINA, HONG KONG SHANGHAI BANK- BOTH VERY, VERY BIG IN HONG KONG, BOTH WILL I THINK GO ON PLAYING A MAJOR ROLE IN THE HONG KONG ECONOMY BUT THE ACTUAL BALANCE BETWEEN THEM, I COULDN'T GUESS AT THAT.
P
MAU CHI-WANG MY SECOND QUESTION. THIS AFTERNOON YOUR FACIAL EXPRESSION IS QUITE JOYFUL. DO YOU CONSIDER THIS MEMORANDUM IS ONE OF THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF YOUR FUTURE IN RELATION TO YOUR TERMS OF SERVICE ?
I
THE GOVERNOR: I
I THINK I RATHER LIKED THE EARLIER QUESTION. DON'T SEE THIS IN PERSONAL TERMS AT ALL. I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A GOOD AGREEMENT FOR HONG KONG. I HAVE BEEN ANXIOUS THAT HONG KONG SHOULD GET ON WITH BUILDING AN AIRPORT SO THAT WE BUILD UP THE PLACE FOR THE LONG TERM FUTURE AND I SAID EARLIER I THINK THE BENEFITS FOR THIS ARE GOING TO COME AFTER 1997 MORE THAN BEFORE SO I HAVE BEEN KEEN THAT WE SHOULD GO AHEAD, I AM PLEASED THAT WE ARE NOW ABLE. WE'VE GOT A SENSIBLE, PRACTICAL AGREEMENT TO DO IT. IF THAT MAKES MY FACIAL EXPRESSION LOOK JOYFUL, GOOD. HAVE YOUR LAST POINT PLEASE.
MAU CHI-WANG: DO YOU CONSIDER THIS MEMORANDUM AS ONE OF EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY IN THE SENIOR STAFF ?
THE GOVERNOR: NO, I DON'T SEE IT IN PERSONAL TERMS AT ALL. I SEE IT AS SOMETHING WHICH MATTERS FOR HONG KONG AS A WHOLE, I DON'T SEE IT AS PERSONAL AS TO HOW IT AFFECTS ME IS NOT A MATTER OF CONCERN TO ME, IT'S HOW IT AFFECTS HONG KONG.
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