XN000022-1994-01-12 — Page 2

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1994

VISIT PROPOSALS STILL ON THE TABLE: GOVERNOR

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THE

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON SAID THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SUGGESTED TO THE CHINESE SIDE VISITS BY THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION TO PEKING TO DISCUSS MATTERS CONCERNING THE PASSPORT ISSUE.

IN

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THREE HOUSING ESTATES KOWLOON, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "LAST JULY, WE PUT PROPOSALS TO THE CHINESE SIDE ABOUT WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP ON THIS ISSUE, COVERING QUESTIONS LIKE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA, VALIDATING PASSPORTS AND SO ON.

"WE REITERATED THOSE PROPOSALS IN SEPTEMBER AND WE FURTHER SUGGESTED IN SEPTEMBER AND DECEMBER VISITS BY THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION ΤΟ PEKING AT ANY TIME THAT WAS CONVENIENT TO CHINESE OFFICIALS TO DISCUSS THESE MATTERS.

"WE'VE STILL LEFT THAT AS A PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE THAT THE DIRECTOR OF IMMIGRATION SHOULD GO ΤΟ PEKING TO ASSIST CHINESE OFFICIALS.

"IN VIEW OF WHAT'S BEING SAID ABOUT PEOPLE GOING TO PEKING, I'D JUST LIKE TO MAKE THAT ABSOLUTELY CLEAR AND SAY THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD A POSITIVE RESPONSE YET,"

IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION ABOUT AIRPORT TALKS, THE GOVERNOR OUTLINED THE CONTACTS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES IN THE PAST MONTHS DURING WHICH THE CHINESE SIDE HAD BEEN INFORMED OF THE PROPOSALS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WITH OPTIONS FOR FUNDING AS WELL AS THE AIRPORT CORPORATION BILL.

HAD

"So THERE'VE BEEN MANY MONTHS DURING WHICH CHINESE OFFICIALS EVERY OPPORTUNITY OF CONSIDERING THAT BILL AND ASKING FOR INFORMATION ABOUT IT,' MR PATTEN SAID.

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HE NOTED THAT A FEW MONTHS AGO, THE LAST MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE UNFORTUNATELY THREW UP CHINESE PROBLEMS OVER LAND AND THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SUGGESTED EXPERT TALKS TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS NO POSITIVE RESPONSE HAD YET BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE CHINESE SIDE.

"IN ORDER TO GET THESE PROBLEMS SORTED OUT ONCE AND FOR THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD COME TO AN AIRPORT COMMITTEE MEETING THEIR SPECIFIC REQUESTS ON THE AIRPORT, THE GOVERNOR SAID.

BUT

ALL WITH

"THEY SHOULD SAY PRECISELY WHAT THEY WANT, WHAT THEY WANT IN TERMS OF FUNDING, WHAT THEY WANT IN TERMS OF EQUITY INJECTION, WHAT THEY WANT IN TERMS OF LAND,

"WE CAN THEN TELL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHAT EXACTLY IT IS THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WANT AND WHAT EXACTLY IT IS THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO PROPOSE AND THEN THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES WHO IS BEING REASONABLE AND WHO IS NOT.“

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