XN000022-1994-01-28 — Page 3

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 1994

NEW PROPOSALS FOR NEXT AIRPORT MEETING: GOVERNOR

THE

(FRIDAY)

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS AFTERNOON SAID THE BRITISH SIDE WANTED A MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE AND WOULD BE PUTTING FORWARD NEW PROPOSALS ON AIRPORT FINANCING AT THAT MEETING.

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "WE'VE MADE THREE DIFFERENT SETS OF PROPOSALS ON AIRPORT FINANCING AT VARIOUS TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHINESE SIDE HAS NEVER FOUND IT POSSIBLE TO RESPOND POSITIVELY.

"80,

WE'VE HAD TO GET ON BUILDING THE AIRPORT OURSELVES WHICH WE'VE BEEN DOING AS RAPIDLY AND COST-EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE WITH ABOUT $45 BILLION WORTH OF THE PROJECTS NOW LET AND WITH THE WORK GOING AHEAD AHEAD OF TIME AND WITHIN COST, RATHER LOWER IN COST IN MANY CASES.

זז

MR PATTEN NOTED THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD BEEN CALLING FOR SOME TIME FOR ANOTHER MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE.

AT THAT WE WILL BE THE GOVERNOR

"WE WANT A MEETING OF THE AIRPORT COMMITTEE AND MEETING, WE WILL BE PUTTING FORWARD NEW PROPOSALS. DISCUSSING THEM IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL NEXT WEEK, SAID.

"WE WILL PUT FORWARD NEW PROPOSALS AND IT WILL INTERESTING TO SEE HOW POSITIVE CHINESE OFFICIALS SAFEGUARDING THE LIVELIHOOD OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

BE THEN VERY ARE ABOUT

"IT WON'T BE THE PRESENT ADMINISTRATION WHICH SUFFERS IF WE DON'T GET THE AIRPORT BUILT AT THE SORT OF TIME WE'D LIKE. I'LL TELL YOU WHO WILL SUFFER. IT WILL BE THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT AND FUTURE HONG KONG TAXPAYERS.

BETTER.

"80, THE MORE RAPIDLY WE CAN GET ON WITH THESE MATTERS THE

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE ALLEGED SECRET DEAL ON THE AIRPORT, THE GOVERNOR NOTED THAT HIS PREDECESSOR, LORD WILSON, AT A PRESS CONFERENCE WHEN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WAS PUBLISHED HAD SAID EXPLICITLY THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO SECRET DEAL WHATSOEVER,

THAT

"THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IS THE AGREEMENT WAS PUBLISHED IN THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND THAT SAYS WHAT IT SAYS," HE EMPHASISED.

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