FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1992
GOVERNOR:
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EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN IN HONG KONG, I'VE ATTEMPTED TO LEARN FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHAT SORT OF POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT YOU WANT IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I DON'T INVENT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE TO BRING FORWARD PROPOSALS ABOUT THE 1995 ELECTIONS, ABOUT THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, ABOUT THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND SO ON. THOSE ARE ISSUES THAT WE DO HAVE TO TACKLE. AND WHAT I THOUGHT AND WHAT I BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WANT IS A MODEST INCREASE IN THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT; ACHIEVED IN A WAY WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW. WHAT THE SURVEYS OF PUBLIC OPINION SUGGEST IS THAT SOME PEOPLE THINK I SHOULD HAVE GONE FURTHER AND FASTER. AND ACCORDING TO THE SURVEYS, A MUCH, MUCH SMALLER GROUP THINK THAT I'VE GONE TOO FAR, BUT WHAT THEY ALSO SEEM TO SHOW THOSE SURVEYS IS THAT THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THINK THAT I'VE GOT IT ABOUT RIGHT, THINK THAT WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS A REASONABLE BALANCE, AND THAT IS WHAT I SHALL SAY WHEN I AM IN PEKING NEXT WEEK.
WHAT I WILL ALSO SAY IS THAT IT ISN'T ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE JUST TO CRITICISE MY PROPOSALS, ANY MORE THAN IT'S ENOUGH, FOR PEOPLE JUST TO SAY 'NO' EVERY TIME WE PUT FORWARD A NEW PROPOSAL ABOUT THE AIRPORT. IF PEOPLE CRITICISE THEN THEY SHOULD
SAY, OPENLY, WHAT ALTERNATIVE PROPOSALS THEY THINK WOULD BE BETTER. OF COURSE EVERYONE SENSIBLE WANTS A GOOD AND CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA. AS I SAID A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, WHAT HURTS CHINA, HURTS HONG KONG AND WHAT IS GOOD FOR HONG KONG IS GOOD FOR CHINA. BUT A GOOD RELATIONSHIP INVOLVES BOTH PARTIES. I THINK YOU HAVE AN EXPRESSION IN CHINESE THAT YOU CAN'T CLAP WITH ONE HAND. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE UNDERSTANDING, ALL THE INTEREST, ALL THE EFFORT HAS TO BE IN DIRECTION. IT NEEDS UNDERSTANDING FROM BOTH SIDES. I BELIEVE THE PROPOSALS WHICH I'VE PUT FORWARD, WHICH WERE MADE IN HONG KONG, WHICH I THINK REFLECT THE VIEWS OF PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WOULD BE GOOD FOR HONG KONG AND THEREFORE, AS I SAID EARLIER, GOOD FOR THE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. AND THAT IS THE POINT THAT I SHALL MAKE AND THAT IS THE POINT WHICH I HOPE WHATEVER THE WORDS THAT SOME PEOPLE
THAT IS THE POINT WHICH I HOPE YOU WILL SUPPORT.
USE
—
—
ALL
ONE
THAT
HK CAN WELL AFFORD SPENDING PLANS : FS
* *
(FRIDAY) THE
THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, TODAY REITERATED THAT HONG KONG COULD AFFORD THE SPENDING PLANS IN GOVERNOR'S POLICY ADDRESS.
CHINA
BETWEEN
THE SATISFACTORY RESOLUTION OF THE SECTION 301 TALKS AND THE UNITED STATES AND THE RENEWAL OF THE MOST-FAVOURED- NATION STATUS FOR CHINA AUGURED WELL FOR HONG KONG'S CONTINUING ECONOMIC SUCCESS, HE SAID.
"I
"ALSO, THE UNEXPECTEDLY HEALTHY REVENUE POSITION WE EXPERIENCED IN THE LAST QUARTER OF 1991 92 HAS CONTINUED,' HE TOLD THE LUNCHEON OF THE INLAND REVENUE BOARD OF REVIEW TODAY (FRIDAY).
ANNUAL
=
"THIS WINDFALL FISCAL SURPLUS HAS GIVEN US ACTION IN OUR SPENDING PLANS, HE ADDED.
EXTRA FREEDOM OF
/"COMBINED WITH