XN000022-1991-04-09 — Page 4

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1991

MARK AUSTIN (ITN): HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU NOT TO HAVE REACHED AGREEMENT, YET, OVER THE AIRPORT PROJECT?

MR HURD: WELL I SET MY EXPECTATIONS OF A BREAKTHROUGH PRETTY LOW AND TOLD YOU THAT MY EXPECTATIONS WERE FAIRLY LOW AND THEREFORE MY DISAPPOINTMENT IS TEMPERED. OBVIOUSLY, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO MOVE FASTER, FURTHER, DURING THE TIME WHEN I WAS HERE BUT THE WORK WILL CONTINUE.

SALLY BLYTH (RTHK): HOW LONG WILL THE TALKS IN PEKING CONTINUE? WHAT IS THE MOOD OF THE TALKS? PREMIER LI PENG HAS JUST SAID A SHORT WHILE AGO THAT THE MOOD IS GOOD, WOULD YOU AGREE WITH THAT? AND THIRDLY, ARE THE TALKS CONTINUING BECAUSE YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE WILL BE A BREAKTHROUGH?

MR HURD: THEY WILL CONTINUE SO LONG AS WE THINK IT IS LIKELY TO BE USEFUL TO CONTINUE THE TALKS, AND I HOPE THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO A GOOD RESULT. I'VE JUST HAD A BRIEF OUTLINE OF WHAT PREMIER LĮ PENG SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO IN PEKING AND YOU WON'T EXPECT ME TO COMMENT ON IT IN DETAIL, BUT I NOTE THE POSITIVE TONE WHICH HE USED.

BRIAN BARRON (BBC TV); MR HURD, A LABOUR PARTY SPOKESMAN IN LONDON HAS DESCRIBED YOUR VISIT AS "ILL-TIMED AND PREMATURE" AND HE HAS ALSO SEVERELY CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR; WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE то THAT?

MR HURD: WELL THAT IS WHAT OPPOSITIONS ARE PAID TO DO, AND IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT GEORGE FOULKES IT'S SOMETHING HE SPECIALISES IN. I DON'T THINK THE SPRAYING OF ADJECTIVES ABOUT LIKE THAT REALLY ADDS VERY MUCH. I'VE ANSWERED A QUESTION ABOUT THE GOVERNOR WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED: SIR DAVID WILSON HAS THE FULL CONFIDENCE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AS GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG.

BRIAN BARRON (BBC TV): COULD I HAVE ONE FOLLOW-UP ON THAT?

MR HURD: YES, OF COURSE.

HAVE

BRIAN BARRON (BBC TV): WOULD IT HAVE BEEN WISER TO INITIATED CONSULTATIONS WITH CHINA ABOUT THE AIRPORT AT AN RARLIER STAGE?

MR HURD: THEY WERE OF COURSE INITIATED A LONG TIME AGO AND CHINA HAS HAD A STEADILY INCREASING FLOW OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT. THERE WAS NO COMPLAINT TO ME DURING THIS VISIT ΤΟ PEKING THAT THEY HAD BEEN STARVED OF INFORMATION.

HARVEY PONG (WAH KIU YAT PO): MR DOUGLAS HURD, I SHOULD LIKE YOU TO CONFIRM THAT DURING YOUR TALKS WITH THE LEADERS OF CHINA, CONCESSIONS WERK MADE ON BOTH SIDES, AND DID YOU GIVE THEM A DEADLINE AFTER WHICH THERE WOULD BE NO MORE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT?

/MR HURD