XN000022-1991-02-20 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1991

IMPORTANT FOR CHINA TO BE WELL-INFORMED ABOUT HK: GOVERNOR

THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT AS 1997 APPROACHES, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MUST INCREASINGLY TRY TO SEE TO IT THAT CHINA IS WELL INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE, HOW HONG KONG RUNS ITSELF, AND WHAT OUR OWN MAJOR PLANS ARE FOR THE FUTURE.

SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON MEETING OF THE FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS' CLUB,

SIR DAVID SAID: "THAT I SEE AS NECESSARY, SO CHINA UNDERSTANDS HONG KONG BETTER; UNDERSTANDS ITS SYSTEM; UNDERSTANDS THE WAY IT OPERATES; UNDERSTANDS THE WAY IN WHICH WE ARE TRYING TO PLAN LONG TERM FOR THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG."

"EQUALLY, I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND THIS TOO MATTERS BOTH NOW AND FOR THE FUTURE, THAT THERE SHOULD BE IN HONG KONG A GOVERNMENT WHICH IS EFFECTIVE AND ACTIVE; WHICH TAKES DECISIONS AND IS SEEN TO BE THE SOURCE OF THOSE DECISIONS.

"THAT IS WHAT YOU NEED IF HONG KONG IS GOING TO BE A PROSPEROUS, DYNAMIC, ECONOMIC COMMUNITY. ONLY IF HONG KONG IS PROSPEROUS AND DYNAMIC, WILL IT BE SUCCESSFUL NOW TO THE BENEFIT OF ITS OWN CITIZENS; ONLY THEN WILL IT BE SUCCESSFUL POST-97; ONLY THEN WILL IT BE HELPFUL TO THE WHOLE PROCESS OF ECONOMIC MODERNISATION IN CHINA, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

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SIR DAVID SAID IN REACHING THIS BALANCE BETWEEN KEEPING CHINA WELL-INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING; HAVING HERE A GOVERNMENT WHICH WAS EFFECTIVE AND TOOK ITS OWN DECISIONS, WE WOULD HAVE TO FEEL OUR WAY FORWARD OVER THE NEXT SIX-AND-A-HALF YEARS.

"WE ARE FINDING ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT, WAYS FORWARD OF TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT CHINA IS KEPT CAREFULLY INFORMED. THAT I THINK IS THE RIGHT WAY TO DO IT. WE NEED TO HAVE A BENEVOLENT VIEW FROM CHINA, SUPPORT FROM CHINA FOR THAT GENERAL PROJECT, IF IT IS GOING ΤΟ BE CARRIED OUT EFFECTIVELY AND ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENTLY, AND THAT TOO IS TO EVERYBODY'S BENEFIT, HE SAID.

THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HONG KONG'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA WAS CLEARLY A CRUCIAL PART OF OUR LIVES HERE IN HONG KONG NOW, AND IN THE FUTURE.

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"IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE SHOULD TRY TO MANAGE THAT RELATIONSHIP IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY. IT WON'T BE EASY AND IT WON'T BE SIMPLE, HE SAID.

TURNING TO THE POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT YEAR IN THE TERRITORY'S HISTORY WITH ELECTIONS AT ALL THREE LEVELS; DISTRICT BOARD LEVEL, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL LEVEL AND THE FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

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