XN000022-1993-10-07 — Page 6

5

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993

THE PRESIDENT: MR STEVEN

AM AFRAID

YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED TO IT I UNLESS YOU WANT THAT AS A QUESTION BUT YOU ARE JUMPING THE QUEUE. STEPHEN POON.

MR

POLICY

PRESS

MR STEPHEN POON: THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR ADDRESS YOU TALK ABOUT THE AIRPORT BUT MOST OF THE ARE DONE BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. YOU HAVEN'T SAID MUCH ABOUT HOW THINGS MENTIONED YOU CONDUCT NEGOTIATIONS WITH CHINA ON THE AIRPORT BUT WE REPORTS WHICH HAVE SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS SUBMITTED

HAVE SEEN NEW PROPOSAL TO THE CHINESE AND ONE OF OUR MEMBERS SAID TO THE

A THAT IN NOVEMBER THERE WILL BE AN AGREEMENT AND WE HAVE HEARD REPORTS, FOR EXAMPLE, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY IN NEW YORK SAID THAT ARRANGEMENTS SHOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM.

FINANCIAL MAYBE THE CHINESE FOR A CHANCE TO GIVE ITS CONSENT.

ARE WAITING MR GOVERNOR, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT IS THE LATEST PROPOSAL FROM THE HONG KONG

THIS. GOVERNMENT THIS? AND WHAT IS THE RESPONSE OF THE CHINESE? IS IT TRUE THAT

REGARDING SOON THERE WILL BE AN AGREEMENT?

VERY

COUNCIL I DO

THE GOVERNOR: OBVIOUSLY THERE IS A MEMBER OF THIS LEGISLATIVE WHO KNOWS MORE ABOUT THE NEGOTIATIONS OVER THE AIRPORT THAN BECAUSE I AM NOT AWARE OF AN IMMINENT AGREEMENT REGULARLY FOR ONE AND MY PRAYERS ARE OCCASIONALLY ANSWERED.

THOUGH I PRAY

SO

SO

CAN OF $164 ENQUIRING OF $45

COSTS

IN THE

SOMEWHERE

THE SITUATION ON THE AIRPORT IS FRUSTRATING FOR THE GOVERNMENT, FRUSTRATING FOR THE PUBLIC, FRUSTRATING FOR LEGISLATIVE PARTICULARLY

COUNCILLORS THOSE LIKE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WHO INVOLVED

HAVE BEEN IN THE DETAILED DEBATES ABOUT THESE MATTERS AND WHO KNOW MUCH ABOUT THEM; CONCEIVABLY, WHO KNOWS, FRUSTRATING FOR SOME CHINESE OFFICIALS WHO WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GET ON WITH THINGS. IF SUMMARISE

I WHERE WE ARE: THE AIRPORT CORE PROJECTS AT A COST BILLION ARE ROLLING FORWARD WITH THE SUPPORT AND UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF THIS COUNCIL. WE'VE LET 33 CONTRACTS AT A COST BILLION SO FAR. THEY ARE GOING FORWARD ON TIME WITHIN THE AGREED, WE STILL ALAS, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE NOW COMPLETED ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE PLATFORM AND ARE HOST OF THE LARGEST DREDGING FLEET WORLD, WE STILL HAVEN'T HIT THE JACKPOT IN FINDING FINANCING

AN OVERALL SCHEME WHICH WILL SATISFY THE DEMANDS AND THOUGH THEY MAY OF CHINESE OFFICIALS.

REQUESTS CHANGE WE HAVE TRIED MAXIMISING EQUITY INVESTMENT, WE'VE TRIED MAXIMISING BORROWING AND WE ARE NOW BETWEEN THE TWO AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE UNDULY HELPFUL OF ME GET INTO TOO MUCH PRECISE DETAIL ABOUT WHERE EXACTLY WE STAND

TO

THAT MAY PROVOKE THE SORT OF REACTIONS WHICH NEITHER

BECAUSE THE MEMBER

HONOURABLE NOR I WOULD LIKE. I DON'T MIND PARTICULARLY WHERE WE STAND BUT THERE ARE OTHER WHO ARE PARTY TO THESE NEGOTIATIONS ANYBODY KNOWING WHO TAKE A RATHER DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW. I HOPE WE SOMEWHERE

CAN CET SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. I'VE GONE ON THINGS

SAYING I'D HAVE THOUGHT LONG ENOUGH FOR PEOPLE NOW TO BELIEVE THAT

THE SAME MEAN IT WHEN I SAY THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE IT MAKES SENSE TO TRY TO TURN I LIVELIHOOD ISSUES, ISSUES OF INFRASTRUCTURE INTO POLITICAL CHIPS,

BARGAINING IF THAT IS BEING DONE, AND IT'S OCCASIONALLY SUGGESTED BEING.

IT I REPEAT WHAT EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNCIL AND I SHOULD 99.9% OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG KNOW PERFECTLY WELL KONG IS GOING TO HAVE A NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, IT'S GOING TO A NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, QUITE WHY ANYBODY REGARD IT AS BEING IN THEIR INTERESTS THAT IT HAS THAT AIRPORT RATHER THAN SOONER HEAVEN ALONE KNOWS.

-

IS THINK

-

HONG

HAVE

SHOULD LATER

/MR JAMES TIEN: