WEDNESDAY, MAY 8, 1991
20
HOPE FOR FURTHER ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS ON AIRPORT SOON: GOVERNOR
THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) THAT HE HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE A FURTHER ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS SOMETIME SOON ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT.
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS BEFORE LEAVING FOR VISITS TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, SIR DAVID SAID HE COULD NOT, AT THE MOMENT, SAY THAT THERE WAS A PARTICULAR TIME FIXED FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA.
ASKED IF HE WOULD INTRODUCE THE AIRPORT PROJECT TO PARTIES CONCERNED IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE OBJECT OF HIS VISITS WAS NOT TO TALK ABOUT OR TO SELL THE AIRPORT.
"BUT I HAVE NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT I SHALL BE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT IN ANSWERING QUESTIONS. BUT THAT IS NOT THE SOLE OBJECT OF MY JOURNEY, HE SAID.
"I WILL TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE AIRPORT PROJECT IS FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. I WILL DESCRIBE THE STATE OF OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA ON THE AIRPORT," HE ADDED.
SIR DAVID SAID THE REASON FOR HIS VISITS TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND WAS ΤΟ TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SORT OF INVESTMENT FROM AUSTRALIA AND THE USE THAT AUSTRALIA MAKES OF HONG KONG AS AN ENTREPOT FOR ITS TRADE PARTICULARLY WITH CHINA, CONTINUED.
"MY MESSAGE IS THAT HONG KONG IS A PLACE WHICH IS STILL VERY MUCH ALIVE ECONOMICALLY AND A PLACE WHICH WELCOMES EXTERNAL INVESTMENT AND WELCOMES OTHER COUNTRIES LIKE AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND MAKING USE OF HONG KONG AS A BASE IN THE REGION, AND A PLACE FOR THEIR OWN ENTREPOT TRADE PARTICULARLY WITH CHINA, HE SAID.
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WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE RESIGNATION OF THE VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE STOCK EXCHANGE OF HONG KONG, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE HAD HEARD THE NEWS THAT MR PHILIP WONG HAD RESIGNED. "BUT I DON'T WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT HIS REASONS MIGHT BE. THAT IS A PERSONAL MATTER."
"THE ONLY POINT I WOULD MAKE ABOUT THE STOCK EXCHANGE, AND IT IS TOTALLY UNRELATED TO PERSONALITIES, IS THAT WHAT WE NEED IS A STOCK EXCHANGE WHICH IS WELL RUN AND WHICH HAS THE CONFIDENCE OF THE PEOPLE WHO OPERATE IN THE STOCK EXCHANGE HERE AND INTERNATIONALLY," SIR DAVID SAID.
SIR DAVID AND LADY WILSON WERE SEEN OFF AT THE AIRPORT BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD; THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, BARONESS DUNN: AND THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL, MR ALLEN LEE.
LEGISLATIVE
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