XN000022-1994-04-07 — Page 3

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THURSDAY, APRIL 7, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF DEPUTY TO GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

THE

FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE THE GOVERNOR, MRS ANSON CHAN AFTER VISITING THE TSING MA

DEPUTY ΤΟ BRIDGE WORK SITE THIS THURSDAY (APRIL 7, 1994).

MRS CHAN : GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. GLAD TO SEE ALL YOU ON SITE. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THE VISIT I'VE JUST MADE. I AM GLAD TO BE ABLE TO SEE FOR MYSELF THE ACP PROJECTS TAKING SHAPE. IN PARTICULAR, I'VE JUST SEEN THE TOWERS FOR THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE AND THE WIRES BETWEEN AND THEY ARE TRULY A MAGNIFICENT SIGHT. AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE MAKING EXTREMELY GOOD PROGRESS BOTH ON THE ACP PROJECTS AND ON THE TSING MA BRIDGE. I UNDERSTAND, I'VE BEEN TOLD JUST NOW THAT WHEN THE TSING MA BRIDGE IS COMPLETED, IT WILL BE THE LONGEST COMBINED ROAD AND RAIL SUSPENSION BRIDGE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE 80 FAR, I THINK, WE CAN ALL BE VERY PROUD OF. ON THE GOVERNMENT ACP PROJECTS, WE ARE ALSO MAKING VERY GOOD PROGRESS. WE'VE, SO FAR, LET 45 CONTRACTS AT A TOTAL VALUE OF $48 BILLION. THEY'VE ALL BEEN LET ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET. WE'VE BROUGHT TOGETHER A GOOD MIX OF EXPERTS AND EXPERTISE. WE'VE GOT CONSULTANTS WORKING HAPPILY ALONGSIDE WITH CIVIL SERVANTS. THE NAPCO OFFICE IS DOING A REALLY EXCELLENT

JOB IN CO-ORDINATING THIS MEGA PROJECT AND THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE'VE GAINED IN HANDLING THIS PROJECT WILL OBVIOUSLY PUT US IN VERY GOOD STEAD IN TERM OF BEING ABLE TO HANDLE IN FUTURE SUCH MEGA PROJECTS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING EARLY AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE ON THE FINANCING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE AIRPORT AND THAT WILL THEN ALLOW US TO PUSH AHRAD FULL STEAM WITH THE VARIOUS ACP PROJECTS. IN THE MEANTIME, WE ARE PROCEEDING ON A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE FINANCING OF THE AIRPORT.

AND NOW, I'D LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE XI YANG CASE. WE HAVE ASKED THE BRITISH EMBASSY IN BEIJING TO APPROACH THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, EITHER FOR THE CHINESE TO CONFIRM OR, INDEED, TO CORRECT RECENT REPORTING IN THE NEWSPAPERS ABOUT XI YANG'S TRIAL AND SENTENCING. XI YANG IS, OF COURSE, RESIDENT IN HONG KONG AND HE WORKS FOR A LOCAL NEWSPAPER. SO, BOTH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE NATURALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE TREATMENT THAT HE HAS RECEIVED. THERE HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD DISMAY IN RESPONSE TO THE TREATMENT MAPPED OUT TO XI YANG AND PEOPLE FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE INCLUDING

LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS,

NEWSPAPER REPORTERS, REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICAL ORGANISATIONS INCLUDING, I MIGHT SAY, SIX HONG KONG ADVISERS, HAVE ALL EXPRESSED CONCERN. SOME OF THEM HAVE INDEED REQUESTED THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES, FIRST OF ALL, TO ISSUE AN AUTHORITATIVE STATEMENT ON THE TRIAL OF XI YANG AND THE THE VERY HEAVY SENTENCE. SECONDLY, THEY HAVE REQUESTED AUTHORITIES TO ISSUE CLEAR GUIDELINES SO THAT REPORTERS CHINA CAN ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THESE REGULATIONS. AND THIRDLY, SOME OF

THEM HAVE REQUESTED THAT IF MR XI YANG APPEALS, HIS APPEAL SHOULD BE DEALT WITH LENIENTLY, THE ADMINISTRATION AND MANY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WOULD ECHO THESE SENTIMENTS. AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MANY REPORTERS GOING ABOUT THEIR LEGITIMATE BUSINESS IN CHINA. THEY NEED TO KNOW CLEARLY WHAT THE RULES ARE, GOVERNING NEWSPAPER GATHERING IN CHINA SO THAT THEY CAN ENSURE THAT THEY COMPLY WITH THESE RULES. I ALSO VERY MUCH HOPE THAT XI YANG'S FAMILY, HIS COLLEAGUES, AND HIS LEGAL ADVISERS WILL BE ABLE TO MEET EARLY WITH XI YANG TO HELP HIM PREPARE FOR HIS APPEAL.

REASONS FOR THE CHINESE WORKING IN

/QUESTION: