XN000022-1994-01-17 — Page 3

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GOVERNOR TALKS TO PRESS AFTER OPENING

MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 1994

FREEDOM FORUM CONFERENCE

QUESTION: MR GOVERNOR, IS IT TRUE THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS THE THE BRITISH ONE TO GIVE A PROPOSAL ON THE AIRPORT ISSUE BUT HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO IT YET?

LAST SIDE

THERE ARB PREMIA SO IN THE LAND

MEETING OF

AT FAIR

ALL. THAT'S BELIEVE GOVERNOR: NO, I DON'T PARTICULARLY QUESTIONS INVOLVING THE USE OF LAND AND THE LAND WHICH NEED ΤΟ BE TACKLED. WE'VE SUGGESTED DOING COMMISSION. WE'VE SUGGESTED THAT THERE SHOULD BE TALKS BETWEEN EXPERTS UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE IN ORDER TO TRY TO RESOLVE THESE MATTERS BUT, TALKS HAVEN'T MATERIALISED. BUT, IF I CAN SAY SOMETHING MORE GENERALLY ABOUT ALL THESE MATTERS, THE SIMPLEST THING IS TO HAVE A

INSTEAD OF EXCHANGING THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. AS I SAID LAST WEEK, VIEWS AT SEVERAL THOUSANDS OR HUNDREDS OF MILES' DISTANCE SILVER SCREEN THROUGH THE TELEVISION, WE SHOULD ACTUALLY GET DOWN IT AND HAVE A MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. I THINK PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE PRETTY PUZZLED AND THAT ISN'T HOW WE ARE TRYING THINGS.

OVER THE

TO

TO RESOLVE

BILLION

SUGGESTION THAT QUESTION: ARE YOU IN PRINCIPLE AGAINST MR LU PING'S SOME OF HONG KONG RESERVE WHICH COULD BE IN EXCESS OF $100 COULD BE INJECTED INTO THE AIRPORT PROJECT?

AM

GOVERNOR: WE'VE BERN PROPOSING DOING THAT, AS YOU KNOW. BUT I

AND MACAU AFFAIRS LITTLE PUZZLED BY THE REMARKS MADE BY HONG KONG

SHOULDN'T OFFICE OFFICIALS FROM TIME TO TIME. SOMETIMES, THEY SAY WE

WE SHOULD. PUT ANY MORE MONEY INTO THE AIRPORT. SOMETIMES, THEY SAY

30, SOMETIMES, THEY SAY BOTH THOSE THINGS WITHIN THE SAME PARAGRAPH.

RESOLVE THESE IT'S A BIT CONFUSING. BUT, I AM VERY HAPPY TO TRY TO MATTERS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER IN THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE. THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD LIKE TO DO AND I AM SURE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE DELIGHTED BY THE HEALTHY STATE OF OUR RESERVE AND OUR SURPLUS I AM SURE THEY ARE DELIGHTED BY THE CONFIRMATION FROM THE DIRECTOR THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE THAT HE BELIEVES THAT WHEN LEAVE HERE AND BRITISH SOVEREIGNTY GOES IN 1997, WE'LL LEAVING A VERY HEALTHY, STRONG ECONOMY AND HEALTHY FINANCIAL LIKE TO CONFIRM THAT WILL INDEED BE THE POSITION.

AND

OF

WE

BEHIND POSITION. I'D

DISCUSS QUESTION: REGARDING THE QUESTION OF ANOTHER ROUND OF TALKS TO

PING-PONG BALL, CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM, IT SEEMS TO BE AGAIN ANOTHER YOU SAY YOU PROPOSED A DATE, THEY SAY THERE IS NOTHING TO TALK, IS THE ACTUAL STATUS REGARDING THAT, ANY POSSIBILITY OF FUTURE TALKS?

KNOW

PERFECTLY

17

WHAT

VBRY AN 18TH WELL THEY

AND

THE

WE ARE GOVERNOR: THE ACTUAL POSITION IS THAT WE'VE SAID THAT HAPPY TO HAVE FURTHER TALKS, WE WANT FURTHER TALKS. WE WANT

OFFICIALS PERFECTLY ROUND BUT THAT FOR REASONS WHICH CHINESE UNDERSTAND, WE'VE HAD TO GO AHEAD WITH FIRST STAGE LEGISLATION.

US. BOTH WELL

ADMINISTRATIVE THE PRESSURE ON LEGISLATIVE. THEY'RE SAYING WE'LL ONLY TALK AGAIN IF YOU SCRAP BILL". THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IS PROCEEDING IN A SENSIBLE WELL THAT WAY THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THEY KNOW PERFECTLY WITHOUT WRECKING THE TIME TABLE UP TO THE ELECTIONS, WE CAN'T DO THAT. ASKING FOR WE'LL GO ON VERY PATIENTLY AS WE DID BEFORE TALKS STARTED, THESE MATTERS TO BE RESOLVED ROUND THE TABLE AND I HOPE THEY WILL BE.

/QUESTION: