GOVERNOR:
15
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1991
A.:
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING ON EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION IN GENERAL IS RELAXING OUR POLICIES. WE HAVE HAD STRICT POLICIES TOWARDS EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION OVER MANY YEARS, AS YOU KNOW, AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF RELAXING THOSE. WE ARE JUST AT THE BEGINNING OF THAT PROCESS. WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT DETAIL ON THE PARTICULAR CASE YOU MENTION, THAT CAME BEFORE THE NEW POLICIES OF RELAXATION HAD COME IN WITH RATHER SHORT NOTICE. BUT THE GENERAL TREND, THE GENERAL DIRECTION IN WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO GO, IS A MORE RELAXED POLICY FOR EASTERN EUROPE AND THE SOVIET UNION, AND FOR SOME OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH WE WERE PREVIOUSLY MORE RESTRICTIVE TOWARDS.
Q.: KAISER SUNG, TAX
BUSINESS PRESS : ON THE AIRPORT ISSUE, A CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE HAS PROPOSED TO ESTABLISH A CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE OR COMMITTEE. IN THE EVENT OF SUCH ESTABLISHMENT, WHAT SIZE WILL IT BE? BECAUSE THE CHINESE POLITICAL CONSULTATIVE CONFERENCE IS A HUGE BODY.
A.:
GOVERNOR:
THE QUESTION WAS: IF IT WAS SET UP WHAT SIZE WOULD IT BE? WELL IT IS AN 'IF' QUESTION. LET ME TRY TO TACKLE THAT SLIGHTLY MORE BROADLY, IF I MAY. THERE IS, I THINK, A NEED FOR US THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO DO MORE TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE
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HONG KONG ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT; ΤΟ TRY ΤΟ MAKE SURE WE DISSEMINATE INFORMATION AS WIDELY AND IN AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE. AND THAT, I THINK, IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK ON OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. I DON'T, MYSELF, HAVE A CLOSED MIND ON THE PRECISE WAY IN WHICH WE SHOULD DO THIS. I'VE SEEN IN THE PRESS, REFERENCES TO THE IDEA OF AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE OR A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, AND ON SOME OTHER MAJOR AREAS OF COURSE WE HAVE HAD ADVISORY COMMITTEES OF THAT SORT. BUT THAT IS WHAT IT IS AT THE MOMENT, IT IS ONE OF MANY IDEAS, AND I THINK THE MAIN POINT IS TO TRY TO DO MORE FROM OUR SIDE
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT - TO EXPLAIN THE NATURE OF THE AIRPORT PROJECT. THE DETAILS OF IT, TO THOSE WHO ARE GENUINELY INTERESTED IN IT.
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PERHAPS I COULD JUST SAY ANOTHER WORD OR TWO ABOUT THE AIRPORT. I DO SEE THIS AS BEING SOMETHING WHICH IS ENORMOUSLY IMPORTANT FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, AND IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD START WORK ON IT NOW. THE EASY OPTION IF I COULD PUT IT LIKE THAT FOR THE PRESENT HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE NOT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, TO SAY THIS IS A BIG PROJECT, IT'S A LONG TERM PROJECT, LET US LEAVE IT UNTIL AFTER 1997. Η THINK THAT WOULD BE FAILING IN OUR OWN RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS HONG KONG AND ITS FUTURE. THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT OVER A SPAN OF YEARS AND YOU CAN CHOOSE ANY PARTICULAR DATE YOU LIKE BUT AFTER NOT TOO LONG KAI TAK GETS SATURATED. NO DOUBT IN MY MIND AT ALL, AND THIS GOES BACK TO AN EARLIER QUESTION, THAT OTHER PLACES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA WOULD DEARLY LIKE TO REPLACE HONG KONG AS A REGIONAL CENTRE. THOSE OTHER PLACES, SEVERAL OF THEM, ARE GOING AHEAD FAST WITH BUILDING UP THEIR TRANSPORT FACILITIES. UNLESS WE IN HONG KONG DO THAT NOW, START PLANNING, START ACTING NOW, WE WILL BE DOING AN IMMENSE DISSERVICE TO THE POST-1997 HONG KONG, SO THAT IS WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTING SO MUCH EFFORT TO TRY TO DO THIS.
/Q.:
SIR DAVID