TUESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1993
11
DR. PHILIP WONG:
MR PRESIDENT, WITH DUE RESPECT, DO YOU HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE THAT CHINA DID NOT MEAN WHAT SHE SAID IN REGARD TO YOUR PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE?
THE GOVERNOR:
J IMAGINE THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WILL HAVE MORE TO SAY ON THAT PARTICULAR SUBJECT TOMORROW, WHEN I AM SURE THAT THE WHOLE COUNCIL WILL LISTEN TO HIM WITH THE ATTENTION WHICH HE DESERVES.
AS FOR WHAT CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE SAID FROM TINK ΤΟ TIME ABOUT THE PROPOSALS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT PUT то THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN OCTOBER, I THINK I COULD HONESTLY REPLY BY SAYING, 1T DEPENDS WHAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS REFERRING TO, AND I SUPPOSE [T DEPENDS ON WHICH OFFICIALS THE HONOURABLE MEMBER IS REFERRING TO.
THOSE OFFICIALS AND THOSE STATEMENTS WHICH HAVE COMMITTED THEMSELVES TO PROMOTING THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, ARE STATEMENTS AND OFFICIALS WITH WHICH I CAN READILY IDENTIFY. NONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT I HAVE MADE ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, BEEN CONDEMNED BY THE BAR COUNCIL OF HONG KONG AS BEING VIOLATIONS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION THE BASIC LAW.
AND
CO- I
J VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THOSE EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN OPERATION WILL FORM THE BASIS FOR OUR WAY FORWARD IN HONG KONG. SAY,
TODAY, WHAT 1 HAVE SAID IN THE PAST AND WHAT I WILL CONTINUE то SAY, THAT I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY AT ANYTIME TO TALK ABOUT THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS. I HAVE NO PRE- CONDITIONS WHATSOEVER FOR ANY TALKS,
WANT A DIALOGUE AND A CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOGUE, AND 1 AM SURE THAT THERE IS A GENERAL CONCERN THAT WE SHOULD ALL WORK TOWARDS A POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC FUTURE FOR HONG KONG WHICH MAKES CERTAIN THAT HONG KONG IS A WORLD-CLASS CITY.
MR
YOU
ALBERT CHAN:
MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS,
TALKED ABOUT POLITICAL REFORMS AND ALSO PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD, AND IT GIVES US HOPE. BUT WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECTS, IT SEEMS AS IF IT'S A LITTLE BIT PESSIMISTIC. RECENTLY, DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT AREA ALSO SHOWED US THAT YOUR FEELINGS WERE QUITE CORRECT AT THAT TIME. REGARDING THE FUNDING OF THE PROJECTS, THE TWO GOVERNMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE ΤΟ COME TO AN AGREEMENT AND THEREFORE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT AND THE RAILWAY MIGHT BE DELAYED, AND THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE REFUSED TO GIVE COUNTER PROPOSALS. COULD THE COUNCIL BE INFORMED OF THE FOLLOWING.
HAS THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERED MEASURES OR PLANS TO BREAK THE IMPASSE? AND ARE YOU CONSIDERING AMENDING THE FUNDING PROPOSALS, PARTICULARLY IN RELATION TO CONTINGENT LIABILITIES, SO THAT THE TWO GOVERNMENTS CAN RATIONALLY CONSIDER THE ISSUE AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF HONG KONG AND COME TO A NEW AGREEMENT?
THE GOVERNOR:
I THINK THAT THERE IS AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND CHINESE OFFICIALS ABOUT A NUMBER OF ASPECTS CONCERNING THE AIRPORT, AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERLINE THOSE AGREEMENTS AND I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE POSITIVE REMARKS WHICH CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE MADE, WHICH I GREATLY
IN RECENT DAYS AND WEEKS ABOUT THE AIRPORT.
WELCOME,
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