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THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1991
GOVERNOR: THERE IS NO VETO POWER WRITTEN INTO THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT. THIS PARTICULAR AGREEMENT ALSO RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE AIRPORT; I THINK THAT IS PUT THERE IN THE HEADING TO IT AND ALL THE DETAIL OF IT. THE ONE POINT, I SUPPOSE, WHICH IS NOT STRICTLY AIRPORT ALONE IS DIRECT GOVERNMENT DEBT. BECAUSE CLEARLY THAT IS NOT SPECIFICALLY AIRPORT-RELATED. IT DOESN'T DEAL WITH WIDER QUESTIONS. WE DO, I THINK, HAVE A LOT OF WIDER QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO DEAL WITH NOW. WE'VE NOT JUST GOT THE AIRPORT AS A MAJOR PROJECT, WE'VE GOT OTHER THINGS WHERE WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT SORT OF DISCUSSIONS AND CONSULTATIONS WITH CHINA, AND WE WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT HOW TO DO THESE, HERE WE HAVE ONE VERY BIG PROJECT, A SENSIBLE AND PRAGMATIC WAY OF DEALING WITH THAT PROJECT. IF WE GET AHEAD WITH THIS AND IT WORKS SUCCESSFULLY, THEN THIS IS A BASIS FOR CO-OPERATION WHICH HELPS ON OTHER THINGS.
CLAUDIA MO (AFP): AFTER READING THE MEMORANDUM, I AM SURE MANY PEOPLE MAY CONCLUDE, OR WILL CONCLUDE, THAT THE BRITISH HAVE BOWED TO PRESSURE FROM CHINA. I MEAN PROVISIONS LIKE: "ANY DECISION WILL GIVE FULL WEIGHT TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S VIEWS", MANY PEOPLE WILL FIND THAT OFF-PUTTING. DO YOU THINK THAT IS BAD FOR CONFIDENCE?
GOVERNOR: J WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT THIS AGREEMENT WOULD BE VERY GOOD FOR CONFIDENCE, CERTAINLY IT OUGHT TO BE VERY GOOD FOR CONFIDENCE BECAUSE HERE IS A MAJOR PROJECT FOR THE LONG-TERM BENEFIT OF HONG KONG WHERE WE HAVE BEEN STALLED FOR SOME TIME, AND WE WERE CLOSE TO A SITUATION IN WHICH, AS I SAID WHEN I WAS IN LONDON WHEN I CAME BACK IF WE COULDN'T GET THE RIGHT SORT OF AGREEMENT, A WORKABLE, PRACTICAL AGREEMENT, THE PROJECT WAS GOING TO SLIP. WE ARE NOW OUT OF THAT SITUATION. WE HAVE WHAT I SEE AS A GOOD WORKABLE AGREEMENT WHICH ENABLES US TO GET AHEAD. I THINK THAT IS GOOD FOR CONFIDENCE.
WILSON WONG (TVB NEWS): THREE SHORT QUESTIONS.
WE BEHIND SCHEDULE
NUMBER ONE, ARE
GOVERNOR: COULD I TAKE THEM SEPARATELY? IT IS SO MUCH EASIER IF I TAKE THEM SEPARATELY.
WILSON WONG:
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THE FIRST ONE, NUMBER ONE, ARE WE BEHIND SCHEDULE OF JANUARY 1, 1997 SIX MONTHS ACCORDING TO THIS MEMORANDUM, SIX MONTHS BEHIND?
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GOVERNOR: WE'RE NOT SIX MONTHS BEHIND. WE'VE HAD SOME SLIGHT SLIPPAGE, AS I SAID TO THE LAST QUESTION, TO CLAUDIA MO'S QUESTION, THAT IF WE DIDN'T GET THE RIGHT SORT OF AGREEMENT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME SLIPPAGE. OUR ORIGINAL SCHEDULE FOR VARIOUS THINGS, AS I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS, WE HAD BEEN PLANNING TO GO OUT TO TENDER ON THE TSING MA BRIDGE, THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, BY THE END OF JUNE. WELL WE HAVEN'T QUITE MADE THAT SO THERE IS SOME VERY SLIGHT SLIPPAGE THERE. WE WILL NOW BE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL PROGRAMME TO SEE WHAT IS BEST, BECAUSE YOU HAVE GOT TO BALANCE BETWEEN TRYING TO GET AHEAD AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE WE NEED THE NEW AIRPORT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN, AND DOING IT AS ECONOMICALLY AS POSSIBLE. YOU CAN SOMETIMES ACHIEVE SPEED, BUT AT A COST, AND SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THOSE OUT AND TRY TO GET THE RIGHT SORT OF TIMETABLE.
QUESTION TWO?
/WILSON WONG: