XN000022-1993-07-09 — Page 2

FOREIGN SECRETARY SPEAKS TO MEDIA

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1993

THE FOLLOWING

FOR

IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, THE RT HON DOUGLAS HURD, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER AN EXCO MEETING THIS EVENING (FRIDAY):

AM I

GLAD TO BE HERE ON THE FIRST BIRTHDAY OF THE GOVERNOR'S GOVERNORSHIP AND WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE HIM ON THAT.

THERE IS THE LIAISON

I AM ALSO GLAD TO BE HERE FOR OTHER REASONS. I HAVE AND BEEN IN PEKING TODAY AND YESTERDAY, NOT TO NEGOTIATE BUT TO TRY

THE ATTENTION ON WHAT SEEMS TO US ESSENTIAL IN FOCUS

NEGOTIATIONS. THERE ARE THREE SETS OF DISCUSSIONS GOING ON, AS YOU ALL KNOW. ARE THE CONSTITUTIONAL DISCUSSIONS GOING ON IN PEKING, THERE WORK OF THE AIRPORT GROUP AND THERE IS THE WORK OF THE JOINT GROUP. AND IN MY TALKS THIS MORNING, WITH MR QIAN QICHEN,

FOREIGN

JUST MINISTER, I COVERED ALL THREE AND I HAVE CHINESE REPORTING TO EXCO ON ALL THREE.

ARE

WITH THE BEEN

THE MAIN ESSENTIALS AS REGARDS THE CONSTITUTIONAL TALKS ARRANGEMENTS THESE: THAT THERE SHOULD BE OPEN AND FAIR ELECTION ACCEPTABLE TO PEOPLE HERE AND THAT WE NEED NEGOTIATIONS TO CONCENTRATE ON THREE THINGS: THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES, THE ELECTION CLEAR COMMITTEE AND THE THROUGH TRAIN. THAT IS TO SAY, THE NEED FOR OBJECTIVE CRITERIA SO THAT ANYBODY STANDING FOR ELECTION HERE IN KNOWS WHAT HE OR SHE HAS TO DO IN ORDER TO STAY ON THE THROUGH

I STRESSED THE IN ORDER TO CONTINUE ON THE THROUGH TRAIN UNTIL 1999. NEED TO GET ON WITH THIS. I DID NOT MENTION ANY DEADLINES. I HAVEN'T IN MENTIONED THEM AND NOR HAS THE GOVERNOR, EITHER IN

1995

TRAIN,

PRIVATE

OR

BUT THE PUBLIC, FOR REASONS WHICH THE GOVERNOR EXPLAINED IN LONDON.

IS TICKING CLOCK

ON.

OBVIOUSLY A TIME COMES WHEN PRACTICAL

SO TIME IS HAVE TO BE MADE FOR THESE ELECTIONS. ARRANGEMENTS INFINITE AND THERE IS A NEED TO MAKE FURTHER PROGRESS. ACCEPTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE.

NOT THAT WAS

THESE TALKS HAVE BEEN VERY SLOW IN GETTING OFF THE GROUND SINCE APRIL 15T WHEN THEY BEGAN BUT THE GROUNDWORK HAS NOW BEEN DONE, SOME CONTROVERSIAL MATTER ABOUT THE PAST HAS BEEN CLEARED OUT OF ALL THREE OF THE WAY AND BOTH SIDES ARE NOW TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE THE HEADINGS WHICH I HAVE MENTIONED.

*

ON THE AIRPORT, A SIMILAR STORY IN AS MUCH AS I SAID: DELAY IS EXPENSIVE, DELAY IS DAMAGING TO HONG KONG, THEREFORE DELAY IS

TO CHINA.

ON THERE IS STILL NO AGREEMENT DAMAGING

THE FINANCING PROPOSALS THOUGH THE BRITISH SIDE ARE SHOWING THEMSELVES VERY FLEXIBLE, AND THERE ARE OTHER MATTERS WHICH ARE HELD UP.

I RAISED, IN PARTICULAR, THE CENTRAL HANCHAI RECLAMATION SCHEME AND THE CHINESE AT ONCE AGREED THAT THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT SHOULD GO AHEAD. SO THAT IS PROGRESS BUT OF COURSE THERE MUCH MORE WORK STILL TO BE DONE. WE AGREED THAT THAT WORK SHOULD ACCELERATED.

IS

BE

/SIMILARLY ON