11
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1991
CHECKED
MR HURD: WELL I SIMPLY REPEAT MY ANSWER. I HAVE SEEN VARIOUS FIGURES AND 1 HAVE HAD VARIOUS PRESENTATIONS AND THEY HAVE ALL INCLUDED ABOUT A QUARTER PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT AND I HAVE
AND THE POINT WITH THE RELEVANT OFFICERS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THEY HAVE REPEATED THAT POINT. THAT IS THE BASIS ON WHICH THE PROJECT IS
ARE BRING
AND THERE PREPARED, OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT IN FINAL FORM VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR IT. BUT ONE COMMON FACTOR IN THOSE OPTIONS AND IN THE
WHICH PREPARATIONS
THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS
IS MADE SIZEABLE ABOUT A QUARTER PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT.
OF
THAT
THE
JOHN ELLIOTT (FINANCIAL TIMES) WHAT ABOUT THE USE EXCHANGE FUND BECAUSE IF YOU PRODUCE ANOTHER 75 BILLION FROM THE EXCHANGE FUND THEN YOU HAVE GOT MORE THAN THAT MONEY. THEN YOU DON'T FOREIGN NEED PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVEMENT AT ALL. WHY DON'T YOU AS THE
GOVERNMENT CLEAR THE PROBLEM BY SAYING THAT THE U.K. SECRETARY
WILL AUTHORISE THE USE OF PART OF THE EXCHANGE FUND?
MR HURD: BUT THAT IS NOT THE PURPOSE OF THE EXCHANGE FUND AND I THINK
THAT IT WILL BE VERY STRANGE AND WRONG TO ATTEMPT TO USE IT IN WAY.
HEARD OF SO FAR AS I KNOW- YOURS IS THE FIRST SUGGESTION I'VE
IS NOT A THIS- I REPEAT WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT A PROJECT WHICH BRITISH GOVERNMENT PROJECT BUT A HONG KONG
PROJECT; GOVERNMENT REPEAT WHAT I HAVE BEEN TOLD ABOUT ITS NATURE AND ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH IT CAN PROCEED.
I
THE
FRANCIS YIP (RTHK): WHAT WILL BE THE EFFECT ΤΟ HONG KONG SOCIETY AND TO SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP IF THE TALKS ON THE AIRPORT BREAK DOWN?
MR HURD: IF THE PRESENT EFFORT TO REACH AGREEMENT IS NOT COMPLETED, THEN OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE A GOOD DEAL OF DISAPPOINTMENT HERR AND INDEED AT HOME AND IT WILL THEN BE A QUESTION OF TIMING, JUDGMENT,
AS ΤΟ WHEN THE ATTEMPT CAN BE RENEWED. BUT THE WHOLE EMPHASIS
I WANT TO GIVE TODAY IS ON PERSEVERING IN ATTEMPTS, SO THAT IN THE IMMEDIATE CASE HONG KONG WILL GET A NEW AIRPORT, BUT THERE WILL BE OTHER CASES WHERE THE SAME PRINCIPLE WILL HAVE TO BE APPLIED.
CHRISTINE MCGEE (HK STANDARD): COULD YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT ROLE THE CHINESE ARE SEEKING ON THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY? AND (2) IF IT IS TRUE, ACCORDING TO REPORTS, THAT THEY ARE ASKING FOR RIGHT OF VETO ON CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT?
T
-
I'M STONEWALLING AGAIN I'M MR HURD: WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED BUT I REFER YOU BACK TO WHAT THE FOREIGN MINISTER SAID ABOUT NO VETO.
YUEN KEE WONG (WEN WEI PO): JUST NOW YOU SAID THAT DIFFERENCES IN THE TALKS ARE NARROWING SUBSTANTIALLY, BUT AGAIN IN BEIJING CHINESE OFFICIALS ARE SAYING THAT THEY ARE GIVING IN TOO MANY CONCESSIONS AND THERE WILL BE NO UNLIMITED CONCESSIONS. AND THEN YOU SAID THAT YOU HOPED FOR QUICK AGREEMENT. WOULD YOU GO ON PRESSING FOR MORE
CONCESSIONS FROM CHINA, OR WOULD YOU SETTLE FOR AN AGREEMENT PRESSING FOR ANY MORE CONCESSIONS FROM CHINA?
WITHOUT
/MR HURD