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2
THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1991
I WAS ALSO EXPLAINING THAT IT IS WHICH IS AS COST-EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE. INTENTION. ESTABLISHED
AIRPORT
OUR
ALL-ROUND
OUR WISH TO BUILD AN
OBVIOUSLY, THAT MUST BE ALSO, VERY MUCH PART OF OUR CONCERN THAT WHEN THE SAR 19 IN 1997 THAT IT SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED IN AN HEALTHY WAY AND THAT MEANT NOT SIMPLY HAVING GOOD INFRASTRUCTURE IT MEANT HAVING A GOOD FINANCIAL BASIS WHEN IT WAS SET UP, VERY MUCH PART OF OUR THINKING. AND I HOPE IT WAS HELPFUL TO EXPLAIN THAT.
BUT
THAT WAS
A I LISTENED TO POINTS OF CHINESE CONCERN AND THEY PUT FORWARD NUMBER OF POINTS OF CONCERN, PARTICULARLY, THEY ARE INTERESTED IN, CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUESTION OF THE FINANCIAL BACKING FOR THE SAR WHEN
18
ESTABLISHED
OUR A IN JULY, 1997 AND I EXPLAINED
NUMBER OF CALCULATIONS ABOUT WHAT THE SITUATION WAS LIKELY TO BE IN 1997.
IT
THIS IS AN OVERALL IMPRESSION BEFORE I TAKE ANY QUESTION YOU'VE GOT. IT WAS, I BELIEVE, VERY WORTHWHILE BEING ABLE TO GO AND TALK DIRECTLY TO A NUMBER OF THE SENIOR PEOPLE IN PEKING WHO ARE CONCERNED WITH OUR AFFAIRS IN HONG KONG. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE EVER FOR DIRECT CONTACT TO THAT SORT AND BEING ABLE TO LAY DOWN QUITE CLEARLY ON TABLE THE CONCERNS THAT WE HAVE AND TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO CONCERNS EXPRESSED BY PEOPLE ON THE CHINESE SIDE.
THE
THE
WITH
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE SIMPLY BY ONE VISIT DEALT EVERY ISSUE AND SOLVED EVERY PROBLEM. A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN ARE LIKELY TO BE ISSUES WHICH GO ON FOR SOMETIME. I WOULDN'T HAVE EXPECTED TO HAVE WRAPPED THEM ALL UP IN ONE MEETING. BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT BY HAVING A MEETING OF THIS SORT, BY BEING ABLE ΤΟ TALK FACE-TO-FACE THAT IT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS AND
THE TWO ΤΟ LAY A GOOD BASIS FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN SIDES AND BETTER CO-OPERATION IN THE FUTURE. SO MUCH FOR A FEW WORDS FOR INTRODUCTION, NOW LET ME TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT AND I'LL DO IT VERY BRIEFLY, ALLOW ME.
Q.:
DETECT AFTER YOUR MEETINGS WITH THE CHINESE OFFICIALS, DID YOU ANY SAY, SOFTENING OF STAND, FROM THE CHINESE SIDE OVER THE SITE OR THE TIMETABLE OF THE AIRPORT SITE. ARE THEY SATISFIED THAT NOW THAT WE ARE NOT STICKING TO RIGID DEADLINE OF EARLY 1997 FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE FIRST RUNWAY?
GOVERNOR:
WELL, I DON'T WANT TO SPEND MY TIME EXPLAINING WHAT THE CHINESE SIDE THINK, BECAUSE IT MUST BE FOR THEM TO SAY. WHAT IS COMMON GROUND IS THAT HONG KONG NEEDS A NEW AIRPORT, NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. THE CHINESE SIDE ACCEPT THAT THAT'S NEEDED, WE OF COURSE BELIEVE THAT THAT IS NEEDED TOO. WHAT I HOPE I HAVE GOT IS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PLANS THAT WE'VE GOT. I'VE ALSO SAID THAT WE ARE VERY
TO WILLING LISTEN TO IDEAS PUT FORWARD BY THE CHINESE SIDE AND WE'VE ARRANGED FOR A FURTHER ROUND OF EXPERT DISCUSSIONS.
Q:
SO THEY MADE NO INDICATION WHETHER THEY ACCEPT THE SITE OR TIMETABLE OF THE PLAN?
THE
/GOVERNOR: WELL