CANADA SUPPORTS NEW AIRPORT AGREEMENT
Mastode
Woh
The Commissioner for Canada in Hong Kong, Mr. John Higginbotham, has provided an initial Canadian Government reaction to the airport Memorandum of Understanding announced today. The Commissioner said:
After preliminary examination, I believe we should all welcome the agreement that has been reached between the British and Chinese governments to proceed with Hong Kong's port and airport development project. The project was conceived with imagination and daring the hallmarks of Hong Kong's success in the past and it has taken patience, determination, and a spirit of compromise to come to a settlement.
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The agreement will go a long way in restoring foreign investor confidence in the future of Hong Kong. We commend all parties, including the Hong Kong Goverment, and especially the Executive and Legislative Councils whose contribution was critical to the outcome of the consultations and will continue to be essential in future negotiations.
Canada has long recognized the importance of a new port and airport infrastructure to the future prosperity and development of Hong Kong and China, a point re-affirmed by Prime Minister Mulroney during his visit to Hong Kong in May.
We expect that the spirit of trust and cooperation which has brought about this agreement will continue through its implementation. We also hope that a similar cooperative spirit will revitalize ongoing discussions and planning for all matters regarding a smooth transition in 1997.
We expect that all parties to the agreement will ensure that it is implemented in a fashion which will preserve and enhance Hong Kong's autonomy before and after 1997.
The Commissioner also added: We welcome the reassurance the MOU gives to investors. Canadian companies have considerable expertise in airport development and infrastructure projects. They look forward to competing for the tenders and participating in the project.