XN000022-1991-07-04 — Page 17

16

THURSDAY, JULY 4, 1991

WILSON WONG : THE CORE PROJECTS, WILL BE DECIDED BY THE AIRPORT COMMITTER YEARS?

IN THIS ANNEX, THIS PROJECT EACH BY WHICH IN THE COMING

--

GOVERNOR: NO, THOSE CORE PROJECTS DON'T GET DECIDED BY THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. THOSE CORE PROJECTS ARE AGREED AS BEING PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AIRPORT WHICH SHOULD GO AHEAD WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION.

WILSON WONG: SO CHEK LAP KOK IS THE AGREED SITE FOR THE NEW

AIRPORT?

GOVERNOR : I THINK IF YOU PUT IT WHAT IS THE CHINESE ATTITUDE THEY WOULD SAY THAT THAT IS A DECISION FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. BUT THOSE AIRPORT CORE PROJECTS QUTTE CLEARLY RELATE TO ONE PARTICULAR SITE.

WILSON WONG: SO THE FINAL ONE IS THAT, DO YOU FEEL EASY THAT THE FINAL PART OF THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE HELD BETWEEN ONLY THE BRITISH SIDE AND THE CHINESE SIDE WITHOUT ANY INPUT FROM HONG KONG, AND THE AGREEMENT WAS REACHED - DO YOU FEEL EASY?

-

-

GOVERNOR: WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME IS IF I PUT IT LIKE THIS IT IS THE MESSAGE NOT THE MESSENGER, AND IT IS WHAT IS INITIALLED AND NOT WHO HOLDS THE PEN DOING IT. I SAID EARLIER THAT WE WERE VERY CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE WHOLE PROCESS, SO I HAVE NO HESITATIONS ABOUT THAT AT ALL.

WILSON WONG: SO YOU DON'T THINK THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION IN FUTURE WILL BE IN ANY WAY UNDERMINED BY THE MEMORANDUM?

GOVERNOR: NO, I DON'T, NO.

HUMPHREY HAWKSLEY (BBC): SIR DAVID, LOOKING BACK OVER THE PAST NINE MONTHS, AND INDEED YOUR WHOLE CAREER IN DEALING WITH CHINA, WHAT LESSONS WOULD YOU THINK YOU HAVE LEARNT ABOUT NEGOTIATING WITH CHINA?

―

GOVERNOR: MAYBE WHEN I'VE GOT THE ANSWER TO THAT I SHALL WRITE A BOOK ON IT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE. BEFORE I WRITE THE BOOK AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THE COPYRIGHT ON IT I THINK ONE NEEDS A LOT OF PATIENCE; VERY, VERY CAREFUL EXPLANATION OF WHAT IS INVOLVED; AND I MEAN IT IS A GOOD QUESTION IN A WAY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO LEARN THAT PARTICULAR LESSON OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS BECAUSE WE'VE NOT JUST GOT THE AIRPORT PROJECT IN THE NEXT SIX YEARS. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE GOT TO ESTABLISH A PATTERN OF CO-OPERATION ON. AND I HOPE THAT NOW WE CAN EXPAND WAYS OF DEALING WITH CHINA CO- OPERATION, MORE CONTACTS WITH CHINA OVER THE NEXT SIX YEARS; WE NEED TO DO THAT.

—

HUMPHREY HAWKSLEY: WHAT ABOUT THE MISTRUST THAT A LOT OF YOUR OFFICIALS AND PEOPLE IN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THE MISTRUST BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA?

/GOVERNOR :