XN000022-1991-04-09 — Page 15

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1991

HE

NOT

MR HURD: THE DALAI LAMA, ON THIS VERY RECENT VISIT TO BRITAIN, WAS RECEIVED IN RATHER A DIFFERENT WAY THAN ON HIS PREVIOUS VISIT. WAS RECEIVED BY RATHER MORE PEOPLE, INCLUDING BY THE THE LORD CHANCELLOR WHO IS A MEMBER OF THE GOVERNMENT, AS WELL AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OF ONE OF THE HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT, SO THERE WAS A CHANGE. 宁 WAR A CHANGE AGAINST WHICH THE CHINESE PROTESTED BEFORE I WENT TO PEKING, THEY BELIEVED THAT THIS CHANGE IN THE WAY THE DALAI LLAMA HAD BERN RECEIVED WAS OPEN TO CRITICISM. THIS PARTICULAR POINT WAS RAISED IN PEKING THE QUESTION OF THE DALAI LAMA NO, THAT'S QUITE TRUE

IT WAS RAISED, I BEG YOUR PARDON, IT WAS RAISED BY CHINESE SIDE. BUT THE QUESTION OF TIBET WAS RAISED BY ME BOTH WITH THE FOREIGN MINISTER AND WITH JIANG ZEMIN WHO TALKED TO ME ABOUT A VISIT WHICH HE'D MADE TO TIBET NOT VERY LONG AGO, AND AGAIN I EXPRESSED THE FACT THAT THERE WAS STRONG ANXIETY AND EMOTION ON THIS IN BRITAIN AND THAT THIS HAD BEEN INCREASED, FOCUSED BY THE RECENT VISIT OF THE DALAI LAMA.

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NOT

THE

CHRIS CHEUNG (HK RCONOMIC TIMES): WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THE EXCO AND LEGCO OVER THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT? AND HOW CAN YOU ASSURE US THAT HONG KONG INTERESTS WILL BE PROTECTED?

MR HURD : IN THE WHAT? I MISSED THE FIRST PART OF YOUR

QUESTION.

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CHRIS CHRUNG (HK ECONOMIC TIMES): WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THE EXCO AND LEGCO OVER THE SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT?

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MR HURD: WELL AS I UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I AM NOT AN EXPERT ON THIS, THERE IS LEGISLATION EITHER THROUGH OR GOING THROUGH I THINK THROUGH

THE LEGCO ABOUT THE ROLE AND POWERS OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, BUT THAT IS A POINT YOU MUST PRESS WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BUT I BELIEVE THAT IS RIGHT.

GONE

A.T. REYES (ASIAWERK): CONSIDERING THAT THE AIRPORT ISSUE HAS TO SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, DOES THAT INDICATE THAT IN FUTURE CONSULTATIONS THAT THERE IS NO ROOM FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THAT IN FACT THE CHINESE WOULD PREFER TO DEAL DIRECTLY WITH LONDON?

MR HURD: NO, INDEED NOT. TO COIN A PHRASE, I'M GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE. I HAD TO TAKE PAINS OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO MAKE IT CLEAR IN PEKING THAT ON A GOOD MANY OF THESE POINTS THE DECISIONS AND THE RESPONSIBILITY LAY NOT IN LONDON BUT HERE IN HONG KONG. I HAD A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GOVERNOR WITH ME AND HE IS STILL THERE IN THE TEAM, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, SO IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT. I HAD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO MAKE SURE THE WORDS I USED EMPHASISED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG RATHER THAN HMG IN LONDON.

CHRIS LOCKWOOD (DAILY TELEGRAPH): YOU HAVE TOLD US THAT YOU RAISED THE QUESTIONS OF TIBET AND OF FOUR PEOPLE FROM HONG KONG WHO ARE NOW SERVING OR THREE OF THEM SERVING LONG JAIL SENTENCES

IN CHINA, BUT YOU HAVEN'T TOLD US WHAT THE CHINESE SAID IN REPLY TO THOSE CONCERNS.

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/MR HURD