ד
13
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 1993
"I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYBODY SHOULD EVER WANT TO DO SO, HE SAID.
THE
CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THERE WAS NO DENYING THAT THERE WAS SOME UNEASE ON THIS SUBJECT IN HONG KONG'S COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME.
"THIS IS AN INEVITABLE RESULT, PERHAPS, OF THE CRITICISMS WE HAVE HAD IN RECENT WEEKS AND MONTHS FROM PEKING AND THEIR LOCAL SPOKESMEN.
"WHAT WE ALL WANT IS CALM, RATIONAL DISCUSSION," HE SAID.
MUST
BUT, WHILE THE POLITICAL DEBATE CONTINUES, THE GOVERNMENT GET ON WITH THE WORK OF SORTING OUT OTHER PROBLEMS, NOT REMOTELY CONNECTED TO POLITICS, IN A SERIOUS AND PRAGMATIC MANNER.
"AND IN THE YEARS FACING US THERE IS MUCH REAL WORK TO GET
ON
WITH.
HE SAID HE THOUGHT WHAT WAS REALLY WORRYING PEOPLE AT PRESENT WAS THE IDEA THAT, AS PART OF PUSHING FORWARD THEIR VIEWS ON POLITICAL MATTERS UNDER DEBATE, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT MIGHT EXTEND ACTION INTO OTHER, UNRELATED AREAS, PARTICULARLY THE ECONOMY: AREAS WHICH AFFECTED EVERYONE'S LIVELIHOOD, DEVELOPMENTS WHICH WOULD BENEFIT EVERYONE AND PROJECTS WHICH WERE PART OF THE FUTURE HONG KONG'S FOUNDATIONS, NECESSARY FOR CONTINUED PROSPERITY AND STABILITY,
"THESE ARE MATTERS WHICH SHOULD HAVE NOTHING ΤΟ DO WITH POLITICS. YET I SENSE THE COMMUNITY FEELS THAT OTHER MATTERS ARE BEING PULLED INTO A POLITICAL DEBATE WHERE THEY DO NOT BELONG, AND IN A WAY THAT CAN ONLY DAMAGE HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID.
++
AND THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORRIED CAN POINT THEIR FINGERS AT VARIOUS AREAS OF CONCERN, HE ADDED.
ON
FOR EXAMPLE, THEY POINT TO THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING THE NEW AIRPORT, SIGNED BY THE TWO PRIME MINISTERS IN SEPTEMBER 1991.
IN THAT DOCUMENT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT PLEDOES ITS SUPPORT FOR THE AIRPORT PROJECTS.
"YET,
IT IS NOW A YEAR SINCE WE CONSULTED THEM ONTHE OVERALL FINANCING PLAN IN THE AGREED WAY, BUT THERE IS AS YET NO PROSPECT OF AGREEMENT IN SIGHT.
"PEOPLE JUSTIFIABLY WONDER WHETHER THE ISSUE IS BEING CONSIDERED ON ITS MERITS, OR WHETHER IT HAS BECOME A BARGAINING CHIP IN A DIFFERENT GAME.'
ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS THE LAND GRANT FOR CONTAINER TERMINAL 9.
THIS WAS PROCESSED THROUGH THE LAND COMMISSION IN EXACTLY SAME WAY AS ITS PREDECESSOR, CT8. IT WAS SETTLED AND AGREED.
THE
I
'THEN DOUBTS
WONDER WHETHER THE PROJECT ITSELF."
WERK CAST ON THE DEVELOPMENT. MATTER WAS RAISED FOR REASONS ΤΟ DO WITH
AGAIN, PEOPLE
THE
/YET OTTO
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