XN000022-1991-01-17 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 1991

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HOSTILITIES IN GULF CAUSE NO DIREST THREAT TO HK: GOVERNOR

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY) THAT THERE WAS NO DIRECT THREAT TO HONG KONG AS A RESULT OF THE GULF WAR.

**THERE IS NO IMMEDIATE SHORTAGES OF OIL AND NO IMMEDIATE SHORTAGES OF FOOD. BUT PEOPLE WILL, I'M SURE, WISH ΤΟ KNOW THAT WHENEVER CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE NECESSARY THAT THOSE CONTINGENCY PLANS HAVE BEEN DRAWN UP."

SIR DAVID WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS BEFORE ATTENDING A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

"THE OTHER

POINT IS THAT WHERE THERE ARE SECURITY MEASURES THAT ARE NECESSARY, JUST IN CASE THERE ARE CONTINGENT PROBLEMS, THOSE SECURITY MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN. THE ONE OBVIOUS EXAMPLE THAT PEOPLE WILL FIND IS AT THE AIRPORT WHERE THERE IS INCREASED SECURITY AND INCREASED CHECKING," HE SAID.

TO

"THAT MAY MEAN THAT THERE WILL BE MORE TIME TAKEN SOMETIMES GET THROUGH SOME OF THE CHECKS AT THE AIRPORT, BUT I'M SURE THAT EVERYBODY WILL WELL UNDERSTAND THE REASON FOR THAT AND THEY WILL RESPOND POSITIVELY TO THAT PARTICULAR NEED, SIR DAVID SAID.

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HE SAID THAT IT WAS A TRAGEDY THAT ALL THE EFFORTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE TO GET A PEACEFUL RESOLUTION TO GET IRAQ TO WITHDRAW PEACEFULLY FROM KUWAIT HAD MET NO RESPONSE.

"NOW THAT HOSTILITIES HAVE STARTED WE MUST ALL HOPE THAT THEY WILL BE CONCLUDED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE, HE ADDED.

WOULD BE ARRESTED, THE

ASKED WHETHER IRAQIS IN HONG KONG GOVERNOR SAID THERE WAS NO QUESTION OF JUST ARRESTING PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE A PARTICULAR NATIONALITY.

"THE NUMBER OF IRAQIS IN HONG KONG CAN BE COUNTED ON LESS THAN THE FINGERS OF ONE HAND,' HE SAID.

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ASKED ABOUT THE LONG TERM EFFECTS ON THE ECONOMY, SIR DAVID SAID: "CLEARLY A CONFLICT WILL HAVE SOME EFFECT ON THE WORLD BCONOMY. ALREADY THERE WERE PROBLEMS IN THE UNITED STATES AND ELSEWHERE."

"BUT WE DON'T GET AS DIRECTLY AFFECTED AS SOME OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD AND IN THAT SENSE WE ARE FORTUNATE; AND WE DON'T GET DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY POSSIBLE PROBLEMS WITH OIL SUPPLIES AS SOME OTHER PLACES, HE SAID.

ON

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NOTING THAT THE GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY IN HONG KONG DEPENDED COAL AND NOT OIL, SIR DAVID SAID THE REAL ANSWER WOULD DEPEND ON HOW LONG THE CONFLICT LASTED: "AND NOBODY AT THIS STAGE CAN PREDICT HOW LONG THAT WILL BE."

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