XN000022-1992-10-08 — Page 50

49

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992

GOVERNOR: YESTERDAY BECAUSE RIGHT.

I HAVE SAID IT FROM TIME TO TIME. I DIDN'T SAY AS MUCH ABOUT THE AIRPORT AS I HAVE ON OTHER OCCASIONS,

ARE

FRANKLY, ENTIRELY

OUR

BECOMES

TERMINALS,

MONEY

I THINK PEOPLE KNOW MY VIEWS ON IT. BUT YOU THE POINT YOU ARE MAKING IS A VERY PERCEPTIVE ONE AND JUST LET ME GIVE YOU ONE FIGURE. WE RECKON THA THE AIRPORT, IF WE COMPLETED IT BY 1997, AND THE PROJECTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT, WOULD GROWTH,

INCREASE WOULD INCREASE OUR GDP BY THE EQUIVALENT OF OVER 400 DOLLARS BETWEEN 1997 AND 2010.

BILLION THAT WOULD BE THE IMPACT OF THAT SORT OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. JUST AS THE WHOLE COMMUNITY RICHER AND MORE PROSPEROUS WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR CONTAINER WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR PORT, SO IT WILL BECOME MORE PROSPEROUS WHEN WE'VE GOT AN EVEN BIGGER AIRPORT AND THAT WILL GIVE US MORE DEALING WITH SOME OF THE SOCIAL PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE

FOR EARLIER,

TALKING ABOUT MORE MONEY FOR YOUTH SERVICES, MORE MONEY FOR MENTALLY HANDICAPPED AND MORE MONEY IN PEOPLE'S PRIVATE BANK

HELPING THE SO THEY CAN HOUSE THEMSELVES BETTER.

ACCOUNTS THOSE ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. WE ARE NOT FRITTERING MONEY AWAY, ACTUALLY

WE TALKING

ARE ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN GUARANTEE PLACE AS THE PREMIER BUSINESS CITY IN ASIA.

HONG KONG'S HONG KONG CAN FULFILL THE 21ST CENTURY IN RELATION TO CHINA AND ASIA, BROADLY SPEAKING, SAME SORT OF ROLE THAT NEW YORK FULFILLED AT THE BEGINNING CENTURY IN RELATION TO THE UNITED STATES. WE ARE PLACED TO BE ONE OF THE ECONOMIC CAPITALS OF THE WORLD AND ONE OF THE

INCREDIBLY ECONOMIC CAPITALS OF THE WORLD NEEDS, AND WILL SOONER OR LATER GET, NEW AIRPORT.

IN THE

OF

THIS WELL

A

I AM ABSOLUTELY CONVINCED OF THAT.

QUESTION:

BY THE TIME YOU LEAVE HONG KONG IN 1997 WILL EAST OR GO WET ON THE 'LADY MAURINE'?

YOU

GO

GOVERNOR:

I AM NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE WHETHER WE'LL TURN LEFT.

RIGHT OR I HARBOUR AN ASPIRATION, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER IT WILL STILL BE THERE IN 1997, TO GO BACK TO THE UNITED KINGDOM IN 1997 OVERLAND, I THINK IT WOULD BE AN EXTREMELY EXCITING JOURNEY TO MAKE. WIFE

I THINK IS A BIT MORE DOUBTFUL ABOUT IT AND I HAVEN'T YET SET OUT IDEAS FOR OUR TWO DOGS. THEY MAY BE A BIT MORE SUSPICIOUS.

QUESTION:

POLICY NOW, PUBLIC

MY THESE

BEST OF EDEN. GENERAL WHAT WILL THAT

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR PATTEN FOR GIVING US THE ADDRESS EVER AND YOU HAVE CREATED FOR US THE GARDEN I FEAR THAT IF THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY IS OUSTED BY THE

IN ENGLAND BECAUSE OF THE MAASTRICHT TREATY, THEN HAPPEN TO YOU AND YOUR POLICY ADDRESS? HOW CAN YOU REASSURE US DESPITE THE POLITICAL CHANGES IN UK THERE WON'T BE ANY IMPACT ON KONG? HOW CAN WE BE IMMUNE FROM POLITICAL CHANGES IN BRITAIN?

HONG

/GOVERNOR: CAN

Page 50Page 51