XN000022-1990-09-01 — Page 2

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1990

CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT TO GO AHEAD THE GOVERNOR

**

THE

GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, TODAY (SATURDAY) SAID THAT WE ARE GOING AHEAD WITH THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK AND HE

IS SURE THAT THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES WOULD UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT THAT AIRPORT IS FOR THE FUTURE ECONOMY OF HONG KONG AND THE FUTURE OF SOUTHERN CHINA.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS RETURN FROM LONDON AFTER FIVE-WEEKS' LEAVE, SIR DAVID SAID THAT A LOT OF RESEARCH AND VERY DETAILED ANALYSIS HAD BEEN DONE BEFORE REACHING A DECISION BUILD A NEW AIRPORT AND THE CHOICE OF CHEK LAP KOK SITE.

TO

BACK

ASKED TO COMMENT THAT CHINA HAD YET TO DECIDE WHETHER TO THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "I WOULD LIKE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE ARE DOING IT AND THE IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG. I WOULD LIKE THEM ΤΟ LOOK FAVORABLY AT IT.

"BUT THE DECISION ON THIS AND GOING AHEAD DECISIONS AND THEREFORE THEY DON'T DEPEND ON WAITING APPROVAL FROM ELSEWHERE.

ARE HONG KONG FOR A FORMAL

IMPORTANT.

"WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN TO THE CHINESE WHY IT IS WE LIKE THEM TO HAVE A BENEVOLENT INTEREST IN ITS SUCCESS. AND I AM SURE OVER TIME WE WILL GET THAT.

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SIR DAVID SAID THAT WHILST IN LONDON HE HAD MET LORD CAITHNESS, THE NEW MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG; AND MR MARK LENNOX-BOYD, A JUNIOR MINISTER IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE WHO WOULD BE COVERING SOME OF HONG KONG'S BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

HE NOTED THAT LORD CAITHNESS WAS VERY KEEN ON THE JOB AND WAS MAKING AN IMMENSE EFFORT TO GET HIMSELF UP TO DATE ABOUT HONG KONG.

** I

AM VERY PLEASED THAT HE IS COMING OUT HERE FOR AN EARLY VISIT, ALMOST IMMEDIATELY HE STARTS WORKING IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE,"

KONG, WORLD.

ASKED HOW THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST WOULD AFFECT HONG SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS GOING TO AFFECT THE ECONOMY OF ALL THE

"WE HAVE TO ADJUST OUR ANTICIPATED RATE OF GROWTH. WHAT WE WILL HAVE TO SEE NOW IS WHAT THE EFFECT IT HAS ON THE MAJOR ECONOMIES, LIKE THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPEAN COMMUNITY.'

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NOTING THAT OIL PRICES HAD GONE UP, HE SAID THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY RELATIVELY WELL PLACED BECAUSE WE DEPENDED MOSTLY ON COAL FOR GENERATION OF POWER.

/ASKED IF