XN000022-1994-01-06 — Page 7

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THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1994

CHIEF SECRETARY SPEAKS TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING SCHOOLS

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CHIEF SECRETARY: FIRST OF ALL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE, AS YOU KNOW I'VE JUST VISITED THE ST. JOSEPH SECONDARY SCHOOL AND THE PRIMARY SCHOOL HERE. THIS IS THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF VISITS I'M HOPING TO PAY TO VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO SEE FOR MYSELF HOW SERVICES ARE DELIVERED AND TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS MATTERS OF COMMON INTERESTS WITH THE STAFF WHO ARE ACTUALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR DELIVERING THE SERVICE, AND I AM VERY GLAD TO BE ABLE TO VISIT BOTH THESE SCHOOLS THIS AFTERNOON. I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE PWC. AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVE A WELL ESTABLISHED CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION TO DEAL WITH TRANSITIONAL MATTERS UNDER JLG. IN THE CASE OF THE AIRPORT, WE HAVE THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE SET UP UNDER THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. WE ALSO HAVE THE AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ALSO HAS ITS OWN SPECIALIST SUB- COMMITTEE TO DEAL WITH ALL AIRPORT MATTERS. AS WE SUGGESTED TO THE CHINESE LAST SUMMER, WE HAVE NOW PUBLISHED A WHITE BILL ON THE AIRPORT CORPORATION AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CONSULTING THE HONG KONG PEOPLE ON THIS BILL. THIS WEEK WE HAVE STARTED A SERIES OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE AND WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SUB-COMMITTEE AND IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE WILL BE HOLDING FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. IN THIS PROCESS OF CONSULTATION WITH PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, WE WILL, OF COURSE, BE VERY HAPPY TO RESPOND ANY QUESTIONS PUT TO US BY THE HONG KONG PEOPLE, AND SO IF MEMBERS THE PWC WISH TO POSE QUESTIONS ON THE AIRPORT CORPORATION BILL, WOULD RESPOND TO THESE MEMBERS OF THE PWC IN THE SAME WAY AS WE RESPOND TO ANY OTHER GROUP. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY QUESTION OF US SENDING OFFICIALS TO BEIJING TO EXPLAIN TO THE PWC ABOUT THE AIRPORT CORPORATION BILL. FINALLY, I HAVE REFERRED TO THE ESTABLISHED CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION, THESE ARE FORMAL CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION WHICH BOTH SOVEREIGN POWERS HAVE AGREED SHOULD BE SET UP TO DEAL WITH AIRPORT MATTERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE AIRPORT. I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY NEED TO ESTABLISH YET ANOTHER CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION. INDEED, TO DO SO WOULD I THINK BE, FIRST OF ALL, VERY CONFUSING TO HONG KONG PEOPLE AND WILL BE COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE IN SO FAR AS ACHIEVING A SMOOTH TRANSITION IS CONCERNED.

QUESTION: MRS CHAN, ARE YOU AFRAID THAT GOVERNMENT. ALLOWING GOVERNMENT SERVANTS

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PWC BY

CHIEF SECRETARY: I THINK I HAVE ALREADY SAID WE HAVE WELL ESTABLISHED CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION. WE ARE SATISFIED THAT THESE CHANNELS ARE ADEQUATE AND I AM SURE THAT THE CHINESE, LIKE THE BRITISH AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENTS, WOULD WISH TO COMPLY WITH THE UNDERTAKINGS UNDER THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE MOU ON THE AIRPORT.

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