XN000022-1991-09-05 — Page 11

THURSDAY, SEPITMPER 5, 1991

10

ΤΟ

AN

HAVE

THERE

BUT IF MATTERS THERE IS A THAT DIRECT

PRIME MINISTER: NO, I DON'T THINK IT IS A MATTER OF ROUTINE

APT OUT HAVE 17 RRAFFIRMED AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS AND I WILL

NOW HAD THOSE REASONS FOR YOU. THE PRINCIPAL REASON IS THAT I HAVE

THE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GOING TO CHINA, SITTING DOWN FACE TO FACE WITH

TERMS OF THE JOINT CHINESE LEADERS AND HAVING THEM REAFFIRM THE

ANY DECLARATION TO ME. IF THERE'S ANY DISPUTE OR ANY DIFFICULTIES AT

'I SAT STAGE I AM NOW IN A POSITION TO SAY TO THE CHINESE LEADERS,

REAFFIRMED THE

OF THE TERMS AND YOU

JOINT DOWN OPPOSITE YOU,

QUESTION DECLARATION. NO

OF OF MISUNDERSTANDING,

QUESTIONS NO

AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES HAVING CHANGED, NO QUESTION OF CHANGING TIMES INFLUX OF TIME, WE SAT DOWN TOGETHER IN 1991 AND WE REAFFIRMED ALL THE

THAT IS TERMS

DON'T THINK OF THE

I DON'T JOINT DECLARATION.' INSIGNIFICANT THING, AND, IN VIEW OF THE CONTINUING CONTACTS WE ESTABLISHED I THINK

AND ONE PARTICULARLY IT WAS VERY WORTHWHILE, IMPORTANT POINT OF THOSE FRESH CONTACTS IS THE REGULAR CONTACT WILL BE BETWEEN THE FOREIGN SECRETARY AND THE CHINESE FOREIGN. MINISTER ON MATTERS OF DISPUTE AND, OF COURSE, ON WIDER MATTERS, TOO. MATTERS GET BLOCKED IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, IF THERE ARE THAT OFFICIALS FIND THEMSELVES UNABLE TO SOLVE BECAUSE POLITICAL

THERE IS NOW FOR THE FIRST TIME CONNOTATION,

SORT LINK, THAT DIRECT CHANNEL. BETWEEN THE TWO FOREIGN SECRETARIES TO

POSITION OUT THAT MATTER. AND IF THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO, I AM IN A

AND IN A TO SEEK ΤΟ SORT IT OUT MYSELF WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS,

THEM AND BETTER POSITION TO DO SO BECAUSE 1 HAVE SAT DOWN OPPOSITE

NOW, THE POINT REAFFIRMED MYSELF THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. NOW,

IN ABOUT THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WHICH I THINK IS WRONG BEING BREACH OF THE JOINT DECLARATION; I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS THE CASE, BUT OF PRIVATE THE FACT IS IN THE AIRPORT PROJECT THERE IS 40 PER CENT

40 PER CENT OF IT INVESTMENT. IT IS A MULTI BILLION DOLLAR PROJECT.

REASSURED THOSE PRIVATE INVESTORS WANT TO BE PRIVATE INVESTMENT.

REASSURANCE IS THERE

THE IN THAT

MEMORANDUM

UNDERSTANDING. WITHOUT

POSITION THAT REASSURANCE THE PRACTICAL THAT THEY MAY NOT HAVE COME FORWARD WITH THAT 40 PER CENT OF PRIVATE THEN THERE INVESTMENT AND THEN THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NO AIRPORT AND WOULD HAVE BEEN NO BOOST TO THE CONFIDENCE OF INVESTORS IN HONG

IN ANY WAY, IN ANY AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN HONG KONG. SO IT WAS NOT, CHANGE FROM THE JOINT DECLARATION AND IT IS, IN MY VIEW, UNWISE TO SAY FOR SO.

IT WAS A PRACTICAL REAFFIRMATION THAT IT WAS SECURE AND SAFE I'EOPLE TO INVEST IN THE AIRPORT PROJECT AND IT HAS BEEN ABLE AHEAD.

IS BEYOND

1997.

OF 19

KONG

A

TO GO

Q: A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG HOLD THE VIEW THAT FOR THE SAKE GOVERNOR IN THE OF SMOOTH

IT 15 NO GOOD TO CHANGE THE TRANSITION REMAINING SIX YEARS. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

GOVERNOR ABOUT THE

PRIME MINISTER: WELL, I ANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE EARLIER AND I AM NOT GOING TO ENTER INTO SPECULATION EITHER WAY THE GOVERNOR. I DON'T THINK THAT WILL BE AT ALL WISE OR FAIR ON GOVERNOR. I SAID I WILL TAKE NO MORE, BUT THAT WAS A MERCIFULLY BRIEF ONE.

SO WE WILL TAKE THE LADY IN THE FRONT.

PROPOSED THAT DECISIONS

Q: A FORMER SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICAL HERE HAS THE NEWLY ELECTED LEGISLATURE BE GIVEN THE POWER TO RATIFY REACHED BY THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. DO YOU SUPPORT THAT IDEA?

WOULD

PRIME MINISTER: I WOULD WANT TO CONSIDER THAT IDEA AND I

I AM NOT GOING TO WANT TO DISCUSS IT WITH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ELECTED. RESPOND TO THAT WITHOUT SOME CAREFUL THOUGHT.

/0: COULD T