XN000022-1993-07-09 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1993

MR HURD:

NEGOTIATIONS HAVE

WELL, I THINK SOMETIMES IS THAT COVERED A VERY WIDE FRONT AND THERE IS A LOT OF,

DOWN AND TO FOCUS IT, AND THAT IS WHAT I ON THOSE THREE MATTERS.

OCCASIONALLY,

DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS OF THEM. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NARROW THAT HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO TODAY THEY HAVE REACHED THE STAGE WHERE SUBSTANTIAL IDEAS ARE NOW COMING FORWARD AND I HOPE THIS PROCESS OF FOCUSING WHICH BOTH MR QIAN QICHEN AND I CARRIED THROUGH TODAY, WILL HELP TO MAKE PROGRESS POSSIBLE, TO FACILITATE PROGRESS ON ALL THOSE THREE.

QUESTION:

WHAT IS THE POINT IN HAVING OBJECTIVE CRITERIA FOR THE THROUGH TRAIN IF THEY ARE NOT SUBJECT TO JUDICIAL REVIEW

MR HURD:

WELL, LET US SEE WHAT THE CHINESE PRODUCE ON THAT FRONT. WE WANTED TO SET OUT WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS ESSENTIAL, NEITHER MORE NOR LESS. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CLEAR OBJECTIVE CRITERIA SO THAT INDIVIDUALS CAN MAKE THEIR PLANS. OF COURSE THESE CRITERIA HAVE TO BE RELIABLE, THEY HAVE TO BE BACKABLE, THEY HAVE TO BE SUSTAINABLE, THEY HAVE TO BE REAL REASONS BUT THAT IS, I THINK, CLEAR.

GOVERNOR:

THANK YOU VERY MUCH INDEED.

HK COMES FIRST IN DIGITAL TELEPHONE NETWORK

*

THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, TODAY (FRIDAY) SAID HONG KONG SHOULD BE PROUD TO BE THE FIRST MAJOR CITY IN THE WORLD TO HAVE A COMPLETELY DIGITAL TELEPHONE NETWORK.

THE REMARK WAS MADE AT THE CEREMONY MARKING THE

OF THE HONG KONG TELEPHONE NETWORK.

DIGITALISATION

IT WILL MEAN A MORE "INTELLIGENT" NETWORK, ONE THAT IS ABLE ΤΟ ACCOMMODATE MORE SUBSCRIBERS AND MORE CALLS, ONE THAT OFFERS ACCESS TO A WIDE RANGE OF FLEXIBLE SERVICES.

"IF HONG KONG IS TO MAINTAIN ITS EXCELLENCE AS A REGIONAL CENTRE, WE MUST ENSURE THAT OUR ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE IS NOT JUST GOOD, BUT ON A PAR WITH THE VERY BEST."

"THIS REQUIRES A CONTINUING COMMITMENT TO INVESTMENT IN STATE- OF-THE-ART COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, BE THEY BY AIR, LAND, SEA

OR BY DIGITAL NETWORKS," HE SAID.

THE SAID.

THIS IS WHY THE GOVERNMENT IS BUILDING A NEW AIRPORT, PORT AND INVESTING IN NEW ROAD AND RAILWAY SYSTEMS,

THE

EXPANDING GOVERNOR

/IN ADDITION