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WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1993
MR ANTHONY GALSWORTHY: I ASSUME THAT YOU'VE ALL SEEN THE COMMUNIQUE. I SUSPECT THAT YOU'VE PROBABLY ONLY JUST SEEN IT AND I APOLOGISE FOR THE FACT THAT IT MAY HAVE REACHED YOU RATHER LATE IN THE DAY. THAT'S BECAUSE OUR MEETING ENDED RATHER LATE. I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO HIDE FROM YOU THAT THIS HAS BEEN RATHER A DISAPPOINTING MEETING IN TERMS OF RESULTS. WE HAD HOPED THAT THE AGREEMENT OF THE CHINESE SIDE TO HOLD A PLENARY MEETING AFTER SOME SIX MONTHS IN WHICH THEY HAD REFUSED то DO SO MEANT THAT THEY WERE WILLING TO GET ON WITH THE OUTSTANDING BUSINESSES OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IN A WORKMAN-LIKE FASHION. THERE IS A LARGE BACKLOG OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS WHICH HAS BEEN BUILDING UP. IN FACT, THE RESULTS FROM THREE DAYS OF DISCUSSION BEEN PRETTY MARGINAL AND IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE CHINESE APPROACHED THIS MEETING WITH THE INTENTION OF ALLOWING ONLY MINIMAL PROGRESS AT IT.
HAVE SIDE
THE ITEMS ON WHICH SOME AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED WERE AS FOLLOWS: THE PARIS CONVENTION ON THIRD PARTY LIABILITY IN THE FIELD OF NUCLEAR ENERGY OF 1960 WILL REMAIN IN FORCE AFTER THE 30TH OF JUNE, 1997.
WE AGREED ON THE SIGNATURE OF TWO BILATERAL INVESTMENT PROMOTION AND PROTECTION AGREEMENTS WITH SWEDEN AND AUSTRALIA. WILL REMAIN IN FORCE AFTER 1997.
THESE
WE AGREED ON THE SIGNATURE OF THE DRAFT AIR SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH AUSTRALIA WHICH WAS INITIALED ON THE 1ST NOVEMBER, 1991.
ANY PROGRESS AT ALL IS BETTER THAN NONE AND TO THAT EXTENT IT IS WELCOME. BUT I THINK IT'S RIGHT TO ADD THAT THERE WAS A MUCH LARGER VOLUME OF SIMILAR BUSINESS WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN AGREED, AND WHICH WAS HELD UP FOR NO VERY CONVINCING REASON. ON FRANCHISES WE CONFIRMED THE IMPORTANT AGREEMENTS ON THE WESTERN NEW TERRITORIES LANDFILL, THE SUBSCRIPTION TELEVISION LICENCE AND THE SCHEME OF CONTROL ARRANGEMENT FOR HONG KONG ELECTRIC. AGREEMENT ON THESE FRANCHISES WAS OF COURSE ANNOUNCED SOME TIME AGO. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE SIDE WERE NOT WILLING TO TAKE THE URGENT QUESTION OF CT9 FORWARD AT THIS MEETING. WE'VE MADE IT CLEAR THAT A FAILURE TO BUILD CONTAINER TERMINAL 9 ON TIME WILL HAVE AN ADVERSE ECONOMIC EFFECT ON HONG KONG. ON DEFENCE LANDS, THERE HAS
BEEN SOME FURTHER NARROWING OF THE GAPS. THERE WILL BE FURTHER CONTACT AND A FURTHER EXPERT MEETING IN SEPTEMBER. WE THINK THAT IT'S HIGH TIME THAT AN AGREEMENT WAS REACHED IN THIS IMPORTANT AREA AND WE'RE PREPARED TO PUT OUR EFFORTS INTO REACHING ONE.
SO ALL IN ALL RATHER A THIN OUTCOME. WE SHALL CERTAINLY HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THIS IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP IF WE ARE TO HAVE A PROSPECT OF COMPLETING OUR WORK BY 1997. BUT THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE WITH CHINESE CO-OPERATION. AS THE CHINESE THEMSELVES SAY, YOU CANNOT CLAP WITH ONE HAND.
THANK YOU, NOW YOUR QUESTIONS.
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