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TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 1994
BUT
GOVERNOR: WELL. WHILE SOME PEOPLE SAY RATHER EMOTIONAL THINGS AND MAKE RATHER RHETORICAL ATTACKS, LIVES IN HONG KONG GOES ON VERY SMOOTHLY. I'VE JUST BEEN LOOKING AGAIN AT THE LEAD TABLES PRODUCED BY THE ECONOMIST MAGAZINE WHICH SHOWED THAT HONG KONG BY ANY CRITERIA, WHETHER POLITICAL OR ECONOMIC OR SOCIAL, NOT NECESSARILY WEATHER, BY MOST OF THE OTHERS, HONG KONG IS ONE OF THE BEST PLACES IN THE WORLD TO LIVE. REMARKABLE SOCIAL HARMONY, PEOPLE GOING ABOUT THEIR LIVES VERY SUCCESSFULLY, THEY'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT BOTH BEFORE AND I VERY MUCH HOPE AFTER 1997. AND WE ARE GOING TO GO ON WORKING TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS. SO WHEREVER ELSE THERE MAY BE TURBULENCE OR TURMOIL, IF I MAY BE UNGRATICAL, THERE AIN'T NO TURBULENCE OR TURMOIL HERE. ONE MORE QUESTION.
QUESTION: WHY DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL FEBRUARY TO DECIDE WHETHER TO GO TO UNITED STATES TO LOBBY FOR CHINA'S MFN STATUS? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND LAST YEAR'S CONDITION THEN? IS IT BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT CHINA ONLY HAS A SLIM CHANCE TO GET THEIR MEN?
GOVERNOR: NO. IT'S BECAUSE WE WANT THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND I WITH THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY AND OTHERS, WE WANT TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT ONCE THE PRESENT ROUND OF VISITS AND NEGOTIATIONS ARE OVER, WE WANT TO MAKE AN ASSESSMENT ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST AND PUT HONG KONG'S CASE FOR UNCONDITIONAL MFN RENEW. THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT THAT IS OUR OBJECTIVE. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL IN PUTTING THEIR CASE LAST YEAR. WE WANT ΤΟ BE EQUALLY SUCCESSFUL IN PUTTING IT THIS YEAR. WE HAVE FORMIDABLE ARGUMENTS AS THE COMMUNITY IN THE WORLD WHICH PROBABLY HAS THE MOST PASSIONATE BELIEF IN FREE TRADE. WE'RE ECONOMIC FRIENDS AND PARTNERS OF CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. WE WANT TO SEE THE BEST POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP, ECONOMICALLY AND IN EVERY OTHER RESPECT BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. I UNDERLINE THAT WITH ALL THE FORCE THAT MIGHT COMMAND BECAUSE I THINK THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT GUARANTEES OF HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY AND STABILITY IS A GOOD RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES. BUT IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE TO REVIEW IN GOVERNMENT AND WITH OUR FRIENDS OUTSIDE, THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND OTHERS, THE BEST WAY IN WHICH WE PUT THE ARGUMENTS FOR HONG KONG. THAT'S WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH IN DRED.
THE CAN
STATEMENT ON NEW AIRPORT
IN ANSWER TO MEDIA QUESTIONS, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID:
"WE ARE STUDYING THE STATEMENT ISSUED TONIGHT BY THE HONG KONG AND MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE. BUT MEANWHILE WE MUST STRESS AGAIN THAT WE HAVE COMPLIED FULLY WITH THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE AIRPORT CORE PROGRAMME. THE POSITION IS THAT WE ARE AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE CHINESE SIDE TO OUR FORMAL REQUEST FOR AN EARLY MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE, WHICH WE HOPE WILL RESOLVE
OUTSTANDING ISSUES ON THE FINANCING OF THE AIRPORT AND THE RAILWAY."
AIRPORT
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