6
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1993
QUESTION: YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T WANT
HOW DEFINITE ARE YOU THAT YOU TABLE THE TALKS, ARE YOU WAITING PERHAPS FOR CHINA TO AGREE
GOVERNOR: I SAID THAT I HAD MADE THE POSITION ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AS FAR AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS CONCERNED,
GOVERNMENT BRITISH
WAS HAD
IT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AS FAR AS THE MADE
AND ONE CONCERNED. WE NEED THAT LEGISLATION BY THE END OF FEBRUARY.
ORDER REASON WHY WE'VE BROUGHT FORWARD THE PARTIAL LEGISLATION IS IN
I AM NOT TO GIVE US MORE TIME TO DEAL WITH THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.
THE BILL IS BEING GAZETTED TODAY SURE HOW MUCH CLEARER I CAN MAKE IT.
AND THE BILL WILL BE INTRODUCED ON WEDNESDAY.
DESTROYED THE WHAT'S YOUR REACTION
QUESTION: YOU ARE ACCUSED BY GUO FENGMIN THAT YOU'VE CO-OPERATION BASIS UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION. TO IT?
GOVERNOR:
AND
ONE OR
TWO
COULD
BE
ΤΟ
WHEN
WOULD BELIEVE Ι DON'T THINK THAT ANY FAIR-MINDED PERSON
INDEPENDENT THAT FOR ONE MOMENT. YOU RECALL THAT RECENTLY A GROUP OF
AFFAIRS SELECT COMMITTEE EXPERTS GAVE EVIDENCE TO THE FOREIGN LEGAL
WITH THE AND SAID THAT WHAT WE HAD DONE HAD BEEN ENTIRELY IN ACCORD
UNDERSTANDINGS JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW AND RELEVANT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA THOUGH THERE WERE DOUBTS IN THE LEGAL EXPERTS' MINDS ABOUT WHETHER THE SAME SAID OF WHAT CHINA HAD DONE. I JUST ADD THIS. THAT WE DON'T WANT
THAT AND I SOMETIMES THINK PLAY
WITH THESE ISSUES. POLITICS
GOT ANY BETTER ALL IT MEANS IS THEY HAVEN'T PEOPLE ABUSE OTHERS ARGUMENTS TO PUT FORWARD. WE ARE GOING TO GO ON BEING CONSTRUCTIVE WORKING FOR SATISFACTORY OUTCOME TO THESE VERY DIFFICULT ISSUES. THANKS VERY MUCH INDEED.
AND
FS COMMENTS ON MOODY'S ANNOUNCEMENT
IN REPLY то PRESS QUESTIONS, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR HAMISH MACLEOD, TODAY (FRIDAY) SAID HE WAS DISAPPOINTED AND SURPRISED BY MOODY'S ANNOUNCEMENT TO DOWNGRADE THE LONG-TERM LOCAL CURRENCY RATING OF DEBTS ISSUED BY THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION (MTRC).
HE SAID IT WAS NOT A SERIOUS MATTER IN TERMS OF PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS BECAUSE MTRC WOULD STILL ВЕ ABLE TO BORROW PERFECTLY SUCCESSFULLY.
HE FOUND THE ANNOUNCEMENT SURPRISING BECAUSE MOODY'S ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE FUNDAMENTALS FOR HONG KONG WERE VERY GOOD, THE ECONOMY WAS GOOD AND THE FINANCIAL SITUATION WAS WELL-RUN.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE STOCK MARKET NOW WAS A SIGN OF CONFIDENCE
IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE, HE SAID.
HE ADDED THAT HONG KONG WOULD CARRY ON THE DIALOGUE WITH MOODY'S TO EDUCATE THEM ON THE STRENGTHS OF HONG KONG AND OF CHINA.
/OTHER CORPORATIONS,