XN000022-1994-01-29 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, JANUARY 29, 1994

STATEMENT ON XINHUA'S COMMENTS

IN

COMMENTS PEKING,

OF THE IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA QUESTIONS ABOUT REPORTS ATTRIBUTED TO XINHUA DEPUTY DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG TODAY A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID:

ON THE AIRPORT "WE HAVE SUGGESTED USING THE NAME CORPORATION

ORGANISATION OPERATING SOLELY BECAUSE IT IS MORE SUITABLE FOR AN

IN FOR THE COMMERCIAL WORLD THAN AUTHORITY WHICH, IN HONG KONG, IS USED

THE AUTHORITY.

NAME HAS REGULATORY BODIES SUCH AS THE MONETARY

NO

TO HAS NOTHING

DO WITH THE OTHER

ORGANISATION. INDEED, FINANCIAL OR OTHER POWERS AND FUNCTIONS OF THE

AT THE END OF THE WE HAVE SAID THAT WE MIGHT REVERT TO AUTHORITY

IF THAT CURRENT CONSULTATION PERIOD ON THE AIRPORT CORPORATION BILL, IS THE CONSENSUS".

SIGNIFICANCE WHATSOEVER,

AND

!

STATEMENT ON MTR COACH DERAILMENT

THE

SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT, MR HAIDER BARMA SAID HE WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DERAILMENT INCIDENT OF THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY LAST NIGHT BUT GREATLY RELIEVED THAT NO ONE WAS INJURED.

MR BARMA SAID HE HAD SPOKEN TO THE MTRC CHAIRMAN SOON AFTER THE INCIDENT AND WAS GLAD THAT THE MTRC HAD SO VERY PROMPTLY DEPLOYED A FULL TEAM TO INVESTIGATE.

THE GOVERNMENT'S CHIEF INSPECTING OFFICER OF RAILWAY ALSO WENT TO THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY TO CARRY OUT A SEPARATE INVESTIGATION.

"IT

IS ESSENTIAL TO ESTABLISH THE FULL FACTS AND TAKE ALL PRACTICAL STEPS TO PREVENT SUCH INCIDENTS IN FUTURE.

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"I AM EXPECTING THAT BOTH THE MTRC AND OUR CHIEF INSPECTING OFFICER OF

RAILWAY TO SUBMIT A PRELIMINARY REPORT TO ME EARLY NEXT WEEK. FINDINGS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC IN DUE COURSE," HE ADDED.

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