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MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1994
QUESTION: ANY GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE AIRPORT?
GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT THE GOOD NEWS IS EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS WHEN I ANSWERED QUESTIONS LAST WEEK IN LONDON AND WHEN THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THEN THE ACTING GOVERNOR, WAS ANSWERING QUESTIONS EARLIER TODAY. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS ANYTHING THAT STANDS BETWEEN US ON AN AGREEMENT ON THE MINUTES EXCEPT THE ARRANGEMENTS ABOUT THE TIME AND PLACE TO SIGN IT. WHAT WE'VE THEN GOT TO DO IN IT IS A POINT THAT WE'VE BEEN STRESSING, NOT IN ORDER TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MINUTES SIGNING BUT IN ORDER TO STRESS THAT WE ARE NOT QUITE AT THE END OF THE ROAD. WHAT WE'VE THEN GOT TO GET ON AND DO IS TO AGREE THE FSAS AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE, ONE FOR THE MTRC AND ONE FOR THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY. I THINK THOSE'RE THE DOCUMENTS THAT BANKERS WILL WANT TO SEE SAFELY TIED UP AND LOCKED AWAY. BUT IT'S, I HOPE, SHORTLY GOING TO BE THE END OF WHAT HAS BEEN A LONG NEGOTIATION. PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HAVE BEEN VERY PATIENT. I SUSPECT THEY'VE BEEN MORE PATIENT BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN US GETTING ON BUILDING THE AIRPORT AS RAPIDLY AS WE WERE ABLE TO DO.
WAS
QUESTION: THE CONTRACT OF CONSTRUCTING THE STONECUTTERS ISLAND GRANTED то JARDINE. DO YOU THINK IT WILL WORSEN THE SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS, MAYBE IT WILL INFLUENCE THE AIRPORT AGREEMENT?
AN
GOVERNOR: NO.
IT WAS AWARDED AS ALL OUR CONTRACTS, FRANCHISES AND GRANTS ARE AWARDED ON A STRICT-FORWARD LEVEL PLAYING FIELD BASIS.
IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS OPEN TENDER AND, I THINK, A NUMBER OF CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR RECENTLY THAT THEY ARE KEEN ON OPEN TENDERS. THIS WAS AN OPEN TENDER AND I AM SURE THE RESULT WILL BE EXCELLENT BASE BUILT AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. IT WAS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN OUR OVERALL AGREEMENT ON THE FUTURE OF DEFENCE LANDS. THAT WAS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS THAT WE HAD, DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE, DIFFICULT FOR US AND IT CAME OFF WITH A SOLUTION WHICH WILL BE EXTREMELY GOOD FOR HONG KONG IN THE FUTURE.
QUESTION: ANY INDICATION AT ALL FROM THE CHINESE SIDE THAT IT WILL NOT BE . ?
GOVERNOR: NO INDICATION THAT IT WILL AND NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD BE.
QUESTION: HOW CONFIDENT YOU ARE TO RESOLVE THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL AS MARTIN LEE HAS SAID THAT
AMEND THE BILL?
GOVERNOR: I THINK THAT WHAT ALL OF US WANT IS TO SEE THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL SET UP AND RUNNING WELL BEFORE 1997. OTHERWISE, AS MANY OF OUR MOST SENIOR LEGAL OFFICIALS HAVE POINTED OUT, THERE WILL BE A GAP IN OUR LEGAL, OUR JURIDICAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANYBODY SHOULD WANT TO SEE. IT'S A SUBJECT WHICH HAS BEEN VERY CLOSELY DISCUSSED SINCE THE FIRST AGREEMENT WAS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IN THE JLG. I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY NEW ANGLES FOR PEOPLE ΤΟ EXPLORE BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING THE VIEWS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND WE ALSO WILL WANT TO HAVE THE VIEWS ON THE BILL OF THE CHINESE SIDE AND THEN I HOPE WE CAN GET ON WITH THIS BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE, I THINK, COPING STONES IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS. IT'S IMPORTANT WE GET ON WITH IT. ONE MORE.
THAT
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