XN000022-1993-07-02 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, JULY 2, 1993

HURD'S PEKING VISIT USEFUL FOR HONG KONG

THE DEPUTY TO THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (FRIDAY) WELCOMED THE NEWS THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, MR DOUGLAS HURD, WOULD BE GOING TO PEKING ON JULY 8 AND 9.

SPEAKING ΤΟ REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION OF THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL, SIR DAVID SAID IT WAS VERY USEFUL FOR MR HURD TO BE ABLE TO TALK DIRECTLY TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER ABOUT THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

MR HURD WILL BE COMING TO HONG KONG AFTERWARDS AND WILL BRIEF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ON HIS PEKING VISIT.

ASKED BY THE MEDIA ABOUT THE DECISIONS OF THE CABINET MEETING IN LONDON AFTER OFFICIATING AT THE GROUND BREAKING CEREMONY OF KAP SHUI MUN BRIDGE EARLIER IN THE DAY, SIR DAVID SAID:

"THE MOOD OF THE COMMUNITY, AS A WHOLE, I THINK, IS THAT WE CLEARLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO REACH A NEGOTIATIVE SETTLEMENT WITH CHINESE GOVERNMENT."

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IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE SHOULD KEEP TALKING FOR A WHILE TO TRY DO SO, HE SAID.

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SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT TIME WAS NOT ENDLESS.

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GOVERNOR AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY HAVE SAID, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE ARRANGEMENTS PUT IN PLACE IN GOOD TIME. SO WE NEED MAKE GOOD PROGRESS.

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SIR DAVID REJECTED REPORTS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD SOFTENED HIS POSITION WITH REGARD TO THE "THROUGH TRAIN" CONCEPT.

"WHAT THE GOVERNOR SAID ABOUT THE THROUGH TRAIN IN LONDON IS NOTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT HE'S BEEN SAYING FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS.

"OUR POSITION IS EXACTLY THE SAME.

"WE WANT TO SEE OBJECTIVE CRITERIA THAT EVERYBODY WHO STANDS FOR ELECTION IN 1995, SO THAT THEY WILL KNOW, ON AN OBJECTIVE BASIS, WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO STAY IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL UNTIL 1999.

"THAT'S OUR POSITION. THAT'S THE POSITION THE GOVERNOR HAS EXPLAINED, HE ADDED.

COMMENTING ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT, SIR DAVID HOPED THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD SOON REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THOSE ASPECTS THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING.

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"WE LOOK FORWARD TO ANOTHER MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND I HOPE THAT MEETING WILL BE PRODUCTIVE, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID ADDED THAT IF HONG KONG WANTED TO COMPLETE THE WHOLE PROJECT ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET IT DID NEED TO REACH AGREEMENT THE CHINESE SIDE.

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