XN000022-1991-01-21 — Page 2

MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1991

1

NOR STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING DIALCQUE

WITH CHINESE LEADERS

GOVERNOR, SIR

DAVID

THE

WILSON, TODAY (MONDAY) PURPOSE OF HIS VISIT TO CHINA IS TO MAINTAIN THE DIALOGUE AT SENIOR LEVEL WITH CHINESE LEADERS.

TRYING

SAID

A VERY

THE

"THAT IS SOMETHING TO WHICH I ATTACH A GREAT DEAL OF IMPORTANCE

OF

RELATIONSHIP CO-OPERATIVE TO BUILD UP THE RIGHT SORT IN BETWEEN

SPEAKING OVERSELVES AND CHINA, THE GOVERNOR SAID, WHEN REPORTERS BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR PEKING FOR A THREE-DAY VISIT.

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ΤΟ

CHINESE

SIR DAVID SAID WHILE IN PEKING, HE WOULD BE SEEING THE PREMIER, MR LI PENG, THE FORMER AND PRESENT DIRECTORS OF HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE UNDER CHINA'S STATE COUNCIL, MR JI PENGFEI MR LU PING, AND SOME OTHER CHINESE OFFICIALS.

SIR DAVID WILL HAVE DINNER THIS EVENING WITH THE VICE MINISTER, MR TIAN ZENOPEI, WHO IS HIS HOST ON THIS VISIT.

ON

AND

FOREIGN

LEADERS IS TO

WHEN ASKED TO COMMENT ON HIS DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE THE NEW AIRPORT ISSUE, SIR DAVID SAID: "WHAT I WANT TO DO DISCUSS THE WHOLE ISSUE OF THE AIRPORT AND SEE IF WE CAN FIND A WAY OF GETTING FORWARD ON IT."

KONG, EFFICIENT

"ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO SAY IS HOW IMPORTANT TO HONG THE LONG-TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG HAVING A GOOD, MODERN AIRPORT IS' HE ADDED.

ΤΟ

TO SIR DAVID SAID HE DID NOT NECESSARILY ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE

"BUT I REALLY RESOLVE EVERY ISSUE THAT FACED HONG KONG AT THE MOMENT. DO HOPE THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME PROGRESS AND A BETTER UNDERSTANDING," HR SAID.

SIR DAVID

THE AIRPORT WAS BY NO POINTED OUT THAT ONLY THING THAT HE WAS GOING TO DISCUSS IN CHINA.

П

MEANS THE

BETWEEN CO-OPERATION

"THERE ARE MANY OTHER MATTERS WHICH NEED CO-OPERATION OURSELVES AND THE CHINESE, HE SAID, CITING CROSS BORDER AS AN EXAMPLE.

A QUESTION OF DEALING WHERE THERE ARE ENORMOUS

"BUT FURTHER THAN THAT, IT'S NOT JUST

RELATIONSHIP

WITH PROBLEMS, THE BENEFITS TO BOTH SIDES,

IS ONE

IN TERMS OF TRADE, FOR EXAMPLE, HE SAID, THE TWO-WAY TRADE LAST YEAR GREW BY 14 PER CENT.

"YOU CAN SEE WHAT IMMENSE ADVANTAGES THERE ARE RELATIONSHIP.

IN A GOOD

IN THE "AND IT'S TIME OF UNCERTAINTY AND UNREST OF THE WORLD GULF. HAVING THAT SOLID ECONOMIC RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS SOMETHING WHICH GIVES GREAT STRENGTH TO HONG KONG," HE SAID.

/SIR DAVID

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