XN000022-1993-12-02 — Page 6

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1993

THE PRESIDENT ADDRESS. MEMBER ELUCIDATION ONLY

THE GOVERNOR WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS ARISING FROM HIS WHO HAS ASKED A QUESTION MAY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ASK A SHORT FOLLOW UP QUESTION. MR MOSES CHENG.

THE

MR MOSES CHENG: THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT, SIR, WE ALL KNOW THAT GREAT MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WANT AN ACCEPTABLE AGREEMENT. WHY ARE YOU GAZETTING THE BILL AT THIS TIME THEREBY RUNNING THE RISK OF TALKS BREAKING DOWN?

GOVERNOR: I'VE SOUGHT TO EXPLAIN THAT THE BEST WAY OF SALVAGING THE PROSPECT OF AN AGREEMENT IN THE TALKS IS TO GIVE US MORE TIME AND THAT THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET MORE TIME IS BY TAKING SOME DECISIONS IN THIS COUNCIL ON THE LESS CONTENTIOUS ISSUES. I REALISE THAT SOME PEOPLE WILL BE SCEPTICAL ABOUT THE PROSPECTS FOR SUCCESS. WE HAVE HAD SEVENTEEN ROUNDS OF TALKS AND ALAS WE HAVE ONLY SO FAR MANAGED TO REACH AGREEMENT ON THE VOTING AGE. I DON'T THINK THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD CRITICISE US FOR MAKING TOO RAPID PROGRESS BUT WE STILL THINK WE SHOULD TRY AND TRY AS HARD AS WE POSSIBLY CAN TO REACH I HOPE THE HONOURABLE MEMBER WON'T FORGET THIS. IT WAS AND HONG SIDES WHO PROPOSED TALKS AND IT IS, I BELIEVE, TEAM WHICH HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT CONDITIONAL CONCESSIONS DURING THESE TALKS IN ORDER TO TRY TO BRING THEM TO A SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION. ITS THE BRITISH SIDE WHICH IS ATTEMPTING IN THE WAY I DESCRIBED THIS AFTERNOON ΤΟ FIND MORE TIME TO ALLOW THESE TALKS ON THE MORE CONTENTIOUS ISSUES TO ARRIVE AT A CONCLUSION. IT IS DIFFICULT, BUT WE ARE PREPARED TO TRY AS HARD AS WE CAN.

AN AGREEMENT.

THE BRITISH

THE BRITISH

MR ALFRED TSO (THROUGH INTERPRETATION): WELL IF THE HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION IS SEPARATING ALL THESE BILLS AND INTRODUCE THE BILLS TO THE LEGCO FOR VOTING AND THE OUTCOME OF THIS IS THE BREAKDOWN OF THE TALKS, THEN WHAT GOOD MEASURES WOULD THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE ΤΟ MAKE SURE THAT OUR AIRPORT PROJECT AND ALL CONTRACTS STRADDLING 97 AND ALL THE DEVELOPMENT INVOLVING BOTH SIDES WILL MOVE SMOOTHLY?

GOVERNOR: WELL I WANT TO EMPHASISE AGAIN THAT SO FAR AS THE BRITISH SIDE IS CONCERNED WE WISH THE TALKS TO CONTINUE. WE HAVE PROPOSED DATES FOR THE EIGHTEENTH ROUND OF TALKS RECOGNISING THAT ON THE THROUGH TRAIN, ON THE ELECTION COMMITTEE, ON THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES THERE ARE VERY CONSIDERABLE PROBLEMS STILL TO ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE. SO WE HAVE PROPOSED THAT THE TALKS SHOULD CONTINUE AND I HOPE THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WILL CONTINUE THE TALKS AND WON'T WALK AWAY FROM THE TABLE. THE HONOURABLE MEMBER THEN REFERS TO OTHER ISSUES, LIVELIHOOD ISSUES, ECONOMIC ISSUES, AND SAYS HOW WILL THESE BE AFFECTED IF

THE TALKS ON POLITICAL ISSUES BREAK DOWN. I'VE GOT A GREAT LIST HERE OF QUOTATIONS FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS SAYING THAT THERE IS NO RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL ISSUES AND ECONOMIC AND LIVELIHOOD ISSUES. AGAIN AND AGAIN THEY HAVE GIVEN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG THAT ASSURANCE. I SEE SOME MIRTH BEING DISPLAYED AROUND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY ANYBODY SHOULD REGARD IT AS A MATTER TO LAUGH AT THAT CHINESE OFFICIALS SAY THEY DON'T WANT TO HURT PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD IN HONG KONG IN ORDER TO TRY TO SECURE A POLITICAL POINT. SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN TAKE THOSE ARGUMENTS, TAKE THOSE STATEMENTS, TAKE THOSE QUOTATIONS AT THEIR FACE VALUE. HONOURABLE MEMBERS MAY THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME EVIDENCE FROM TIME TO TIME OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS OR LONGER THAT PERHAPS POINTS IN THE OTHER DIRECTION. BUT SPEAKING FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WE WILL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN REASONABLY TO SAFEGUARD THE LIVELIHOOD AND THE STABILITY OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, BUT THAT CANNOT POSSIBLY OBLIGE US NOT TO STAND UP FOR THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, THAT CANNOT POSSIBLE OBLIGE US TO ERODE THE FOUNDATIONS OF THIS FREE AND OPEN COMMUNITY.

/MR JAMES