XN000022-1992-10-23 — Page 12

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1992

11

HAVE

ΤΟ GOVERNOR:

WELL, ANYTHING THAT MR SUTCH SAYS, IS BOUND BEEN CAREFULLY THOUGHT ABOUT. HE IS ONE OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED BUSINESS LEADERS IN HONG KONG AND I WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO TALK TO HIM OR ANY OTHER BUSINESS LEADERS, ABOUT ANY PROPOSALS THEY MIGHT HAVE FOR

OR FINANCING AND CONSTRUCTING THE AIRPORT. SO IF MR SUTCH

OTHERS I'LL BE WANT TO COME AND SEE ME TO TALK ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE, DELIGHTED TO MEET THEM.

GOVERNOR:

the

1

A

IF YOU

THE

ME

ECONOMIC TIMES: HK

THE CHINESE SIDE HAVE INDICATED THAT IN 1987 WHEN TIMOTHY RENTON WAS VISITING CHINA, BOTH SIDES HAD REACHED A COMPROMISE SETTLEMENT ON THE CONSTITUTION - HONG KONG'S CONSTITUTION

ELECTIONS FOR INSTANCE DIRECT ELECTIONS.

SECOND WHICH TAKES THE POINT AND THE CHINESE SIDE ALLEGED THAT YOUR PROPOSALS HAVE DEPARTED FROM THAT TYPE OF COMMITMENT. WOULD YOU DENY THAT THAT IS TRUE?

WELL I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WHATEVER MAY HAVE BEEN SAID TO YOU IN CORRIDORS OR BARS, NOBODY, IN OVER 10 HOURS OF DISCUSSIONS, HAS MENTIONED THE NAME OF TIMOTHY RENTON TO ME. TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE ISSUE OF THE ELECTION COMMITTEE FOR 1995, ONE THING THAT IS "ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT THE BASIC LAW

NO, LET RE-PHRASE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT THE ELECTION BASIC LAW IS THAT IT DOESN'T SPECIFY THE COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE FOR 1995. YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK IN THE BASIC LAW TO SEE

ABSOLUTELY PLAIN. THAT'S

SO THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PUTTING FORWARD PROPOSALS ABOUT THE COMPOSITION THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE, HIMSELF -- THE COMPOSITION OF THE EXECUTIVE

THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, HIMSELF I'LL GET THE ELECTION COMMITTEE RIGHT IN A MOMENT.

THE FOURTH TIME! IF ANYBODY HAS ANY PROPOSALS, THEMSELVES, TO PUT FORWARD I'D BE DELIGHTED TO HEAR THEM. BUT EVEN THOUGH TIMOTHY RENTON IS OLD ACQUAINTANCE OF MINE, HIS NAME WAS NOT, ALAS, MENTIONED DURING OUR DISCUSSIONS THIS WEEK.

COMMITTEE,

QUESTIONER:

GOVERNOR:

——

HIMSELF

-

--

BUT HASN'T HE GIVEN ANY COMMITMENT?

NO.

OF

IT

AND ON THAT,

AN

QUESTION:

(INDISTINCT)

YOUR PROPOSALS

GOVERNOR:

•

.

(INDISTINCT) CHINESE SIDE ... GO AHEAD ON BOTH THE AIRPORT AND

SO FAR ALL THE CALL IT A DAY

(INDISTINCT).

NOBODY

THIS WEEK HAS CALLED ME NAMES.

-

—

LET IT BE SAID DURING MY DISCUSSIONS I HAVE BEEN CALLED A VARIETY OF NAMES UNDERLINED "THE BY SOME OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FREE-PRESS

IN HONG KONG.

A SOME HAVE CALLED ME FREE-PRESS"

DICTATOR, OR

TRYING IMPLIED

TO THAT

I'M I'M A DICTATOR; SOME HAVE IMPLIED THAT WEAKEN STRONG EXECUTIVE-LED GOVERNMENT. I THINK IT'S DIFFICULT TO BE BOTH AT THE SAME TIME BUT EASIER FOR JOURNALISTS TO CLAIM BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY POINT IN RESPONDING

THAT I'M

TO NAME-CALLING,

/WHAT I'M