XN000022-1991-01-24 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1991

GOVERNOR :

WELL,

AS I SAY, THERE ARE GOING TO BE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS ON IT. THE THING WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IS AN ACCEPTANCE THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR A NEW AIRPORT. I THINK IF I GO FURTHER AND TRY TO INTERPRET WHAT THEIR POSITION IS I AM PUTTING WORDS INTO THEIR MOUTHS AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO THEM.

SIR, THE VICE-FOREIGN MINISTER EARLIER THIS MORNING REITERATED THAT THERE WERE ISSUES WHICH STRADDLE 1997. THEY WANT THE BRITISH SIDE TO CONSULT WITH THE CHINESE SIDE TO FIND OUT A BETTER SOLUTION. SO WAS THAT REITERATED DURING THE TALKS OR HOW DID THEY EXPRESS THAT THEME DURING THE TALKS.

GOVERNOR:

WELL AGAIN, DON'T LET ME TRY TO PUT WORDS INTO THE MOUTHS OF THE CHINESE SIDE. I WILL GIVE IT FROM MY POINT OF VIEW. THE SITUATION THAT WE FACE AND IT'S ONE WHICH WE ARE GOING TO FACE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IS THAT ON THE ONE HAND AS WE GET CLOSER TO 1997 THERE IS A NEED TO KEEP THE CHINESE SIDE BETTER INFORMED ABOUT THE THINGS WHICH

WE ARE DOING HERE, TO GIVE THEM A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW HONG KONG IS RUN, AND TO GIVE THEM AN UNDERSTANDING OF MAJOR POLICIES WHICH WILL AFFECT THE LONGER TERM FUTURE OF HONG KONG. THAT'S ONE SIDE OF IT AND THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH I BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO BE DOING, I DEALT WITH THAT IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL LAST OCTOBER; AND IN THAT PROCESS WE WOULD OF COURSE LISTEN TO VIEWS PUT TO US BY THE CHINESE SIDE. THERE IS THE OTHER SIDE OF IT, WHICH IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT AND WHICH I WAS EXPLAINING TO THE PEOPLE I SAW IN PEKING; AND THAT IS, IF HONG KONG IS GOING TO BE WELL ADMINISTERED OVER THE NEXT SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS; IF THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG IS GOING TO BE MAINTAINED, THEN THERE MUST BE AN EFFECTIVE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG MUST BE SEEN TO BE EFFECTIVE AND TAKE DECISIONS; AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CHINESE SIDE UNDERSTAND THAT POINT.

Q.:

TO

DID THE CHINESE ASK YOU TO DELAY ANY MORE PROGRESS ON THE AIRPORT UNTIL THEY HAVE AGREED TO THE PLANS AND HOW DID YOU REACT ΤΟ THAT?

GOVERNOR :

i

NO.

WHAT [S YOUR PLAN, ARE YOU PRESSING AHEAD WITH THE AIRPORT PROGRAMME AS YOU HAD INTENDED TO?

/GOVERNOR:

WELL