WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986
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MR LEE SAID HE WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE OPEN AND ACCOMMODATING ATTITUDE OF THE POWER COMPANIES AND GOVERNMENTS VISITED BY THE DELEGATIONS IN SUPPLYING INFORMATION TO THOSE WHO WISHED TO UNDERSTAND THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS.
HE THEREFORE CALLED FOR AN OPEN ATTITUDE FROM ALL PARTIES CONCERNED WITH THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT.
MR LEE REFUTED NEWSPAPER COMMENTS AND EDITORIALS ACCUSING HIM OF SUPPORTING THE DAYA BAY PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE VAST ECONOMIC BENEFITS HIS COMPANIES DERIVED FROM DOING BUSINESS WITH CHINA.
+1 WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT ON RECORD THAT OVER 95 PER CENT OF MY COMPANIES' BUSINESS IS AMERICAN MARKET ORIENTED AND THAT THIS TREND IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY TO CHANGE, HE STATED.
HE ADDED THAT HIS BUSINESS ASSOCIATION WITH CHINA WAS A 10 PER CENT INVESTMENT IN A PROJECT WHICH BROUGHT TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FROM THE UNITED STATES TO CHINA AND A TURN-KEY OPERATION OF PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS.
MR LEE EXPLAINED THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD BELIEVED THEY SHOULD DO WHAT THEY COULD TO ASSIST CHINA IN SUCCESSFULLY OBTAINING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER FOR THEIR MODERNISATION PROGRAMME.
HE POINTED OUT THAT HONG KONG'S FUTURE STABILITY WAS ALSO DEPENDENT ON THE SUCCESS OF CHINA'S MODERNISATION PROGRAMME AND SAID HE FELT CHINA SHOULD BE ASSISTED IN IMPLEMENTING THE PROGRAMMES,
REFERRING TO THE DELEGATION'S VISIT TO PEKING, MR LEE SAID IT HAD BEEN SCORNED AS A PUBLIC RELATIONS EXERCISE FOR THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES BUT FELT SUCH ACCUSATIONS WERE MISLEADING,
+ I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PUT IT ON RECORD THAT IT WAS NEVER A FUN TASK VISITING PEKING DISCUSSING OUR OBSERVATIONS WITH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND PERSUADING THEM TO SEE OUR POINTS OF VIEWS,+ HE SAID.
+ I AM SURE ALL THE MEMBERS WHO PARTICIPATED IN THESE DISCUSSIONS WOULD AGREE WITH ME THAT ALTHOUGH THE DISCUSSIONS WERE HELD IN A CORDIAL ATMOSPHERE, IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN REGARDED AS A SHEER PUBLIC RELATIONS EXERCISE, HE ADDED.
MR LEE ALSO PAID TRIBUTE TO THE STAFF WHO WORKED HARD BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE DELEGATIONS TO MAKE THEIR TRIPS SO FRUITFUL.
HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT IN THE LIMITED TIME THE COUNCIL HAD AND IN VIEW OF THE DEEP AND GENUINE CONCERN OF THE HONG KONG PEOPLE, THEY HAD SERVED HONG KONG TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES.
+MY CONSCIENCE IS CLEAR ON THE HANDLING OF THE DAYA BAY ISSUE, HE SAID.
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