THURSDAY, MAY 23, 1991
1
GOVERNOR COMMENTS ON AIRPORT TALKS
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HE
GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT DISAPPOINTED THAT THE TALKS IN PEKING ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT HAD CONCLUDED WITHOUT AGREEMENT.
WAS
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER OPENING THE HONG KONG PARK, SIR DAVID SAID: "THEY'VE HAD FIVE DAYS OF VERY INTENSIVE TALKS AND A LOT OF HARD WORK DONE BY BOTH SIDES.
"FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO IS TO GET AN AGREEMENT IN A PRACTICAL, PRAGMATIC WAY WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO GO AHEAD WITH THE AIRPORT PROJECT," HE SAID..
DO
"WITH A PROJECT OF THIS SORT, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT AND IT EFFICIENTLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY; AND IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE HAVE THE PRIVATE SECTOR INVOLVED, YOU'VE GOT TO BE CERTAIN THAT YOU ABILITY AND THE DECISION-TAKING ABILITY TO GO AHEAD WITH IT, TAKE THE DECISIONS QUICKLY IN A PRACTICAL WAY, SIR DAVID SAID.
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"AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO MEET CHINESE CONCERNS WHERE THAT HAS BEEN POSSIBLE. SO THAT HAS BEEN OUR OBJECTIVE, HE ADDED.
THE GOVERNOR SAID HE WOULD BE BRIEFED ON THE TALKS BY THE LEADER OF THE BRITISH TEAM, MR ANDREW BURNS, AND TO CONSULT THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, ADDING: "AT THAT STAGE WE WILL START THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE GO FROM HERE.
WE
"I DON'T WANT TO TAKE ANY SNAP DECISIONS. THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT MATTERS. IT'S A TIME WHEN WE WANT TO THINK VERY CAREFULLY ABOUT WHAT THE TWO SIDES HAVE DISCUSSED; WHAT THE AREAS ARE WHERE FAILED TO REACH AGREEMENT SO FAR; WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT AND WHERE WE GO NEXT,' HE SAID.
"
ARE;
"BUT IT REQUIRES DEEP THINKING AND COOL THINKING, RATHER SUDDEN SNAP DECISIONS," SIR DAVID ADDED.
THAN
THE GOVERNOR SAID BOTH SIDES HAD PUT FORWARD THEY HAD NOT MATCH UP: "WE HAVE PUT A PROPOSAL OURSELVES ON THE TABLE, WHICH WE THOUGHT WAS A VERY PRACTICAL WAY OF GETTING AHEAD WITH IN A SENSIBLE MANNER.
PROPOSALS,
BUT
THIS
BEEN
"
ASKED WHY HE FELT DISAPPOINTED, SIR DAVID SAID: "BECAUSE WORKING VERY HARD INDEED IN ORDER TO TRY TO GET AN AGREEMENT. WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD OVER A LONGISH PERIOD OF TIME. WE WANTED
WE WERE MOVING IN A PRAGMATIC WAY TO GET AGREEMENT;
TO ACHIEVE THAT; AND SO FAR THAT AGREEMENT HAS ELUDED FIND DISAPPOINTING.
WE'VE
IN
US;
ORDER AND THAT I
THE TENDER
REPLYING TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER THERE WOULD BE ANY DELAY IN AN EXERCISE FOR THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING WITHOUT AGREEMENT, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "THE AIM WAS TO PUT OUT TENDERS DURING JUNE AND IF WE CAN'T REACH AGREEMENT, THEN THAT OBVIOUS CONSEQUENCES."
CERTAIN HAS
VERY
/COMMENTING ON