XN000022-1994-04-14 — Page 9

THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 1994

THERE ARE OF COURSE MANY OTHER ISSUES ON WHICH THE SOVEREIGN POWERS WILL NEED TO WORK TOGETHER IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, ISSUES ON WHICH NO-ONE HAS ANYTHING TO GAIN FROM FAILURE TO AGREE, AND ALL BUT ABOVE ALL THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG - WILL BE THE WINNERS FROM AGREEMENT. SOME OF THE ISSUES ARE FAMILIAR TO US ALL. I AM GLAD THAT WE ARE NOW AGAIN DISCUSSING THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR HONG KONG'S NEW AIRPORT, THE MOST DISCUSSED AIRPORT IN WORLD HISTORY, WHICH HONG SO OBVIOUSLY NEEDS, BUT WHICH ALSO WILL BRING ENORMOUS BENEFITS TO SOUTH CHINA.

I AM ALSO GLAD THAT THIS WEEK WE WERE ABLE TO CARRY FORWARD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE ON IMMIGRATION AND RIGHT

OF ABODE ISSUES. THESE ARE RIGHTLY OF GREAT INTEREST TO THE COMMUNITY. THE QUESTION OF WHO WILL BE ENTITLED TO ENJOY THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE TERRITORY AFTER 1997 AFFECTS PEOPLE BOTH OF CHINESE AND NON-CHINESE ORIGIN. IF THE JLG WERE TO FAIL TO REACH CLEAR-CUT CONCLUSIONS ON THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE, SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD

REAL UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THEIR FUTURE HERE. SIMILARLY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE JLG то REACH CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE PRESERVATION OF EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR VISA-FREE TRAVEL OVERSEAS. EASE OF TRAVEL OVERSEAS IS A CONVENIENCE WHICH HONG KONG PEOPLE RIGHTLY ENJOY; IT ALSO FACILITATES TRADE AND TOURISM AND THEREFORE MAKES AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY.

ALTHOUGH THERE ARE RECOGNISABLE SENSITIVITIES FOR THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWER IN SOME OF THESE ISSUES, THE VITAL CONSIDERATION IS THAT BOTH THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES OWE IT TO HONG KONG TO MAKE BARLY PROGRESS OVER THEM IN ORDER TO PUT IN PLACE THE NECESSARY ARRANGEMENTS WELL BEFORE 1997.

SIMILARLY WE ARE NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS WITH A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES TO ENABLE HONG KONG TO RETURN FUGITIVE CRIMINALS TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN AND TO GET BACK CRIMINALS WHO FLEE FROM HONG KONG. THESE AGREEMENTS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST INTERNATIONAL CRIME. IF THEY ARE TO REMAIN VALID AFTER 1997 THEY MUST BE CLEARED THROUGH THE JLG. IF THEY ARE NOT ALL IN PLACE BY 1997, OUR ABILITY TO FIGHT INTERNATIONAL CRIME WILL BE IMPAIRED AND HONG KONG RISKS BECOMING A HAVEN FOR CRIMINALS.

COMPONENT ITS CIVIL IN THE BETWEEN

I REFERRED EARLIER TO THE NEW AIRPORT. AN IMPORTANT IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE PROSPERITY IS THE PRESERVATION OF AVIATION REGIME, AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE JOINT DECLARATION. JLG, WE ARE NEGOTIATING A NETWORK OF AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS HONG KONG AND KEY AVIATION PARTNERS TO EXTEND BEYOND 1997. WE HAVE ALREADY REACHED AGREEMENT ON SOME. THERE ARE STILL A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF INITIALLED AGREEMENTS UNDER CONSIDERATION IN THE JLG, AND OTHERS STILL FOR NEGOTIATION, IF WE ARE UNABLE ΤΟ COMPLETE THIS PROGRAMME, THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HONG KONG'S EXISTING CIVIL AVIATION RELATIONSHIPS WILL SUFFER, AS WILL HONG KONG'S REPUTATION AS A MAJOR CENTRE OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION.

ALL IN ALL, THERE REMAINS MUCH TO BE DONE. IT IS ENCOURAGING THAT LAST MONTH THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER STATED THAT, WHATEVER OUR DIFFERENCES ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUE, CO-OPERATION IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND OVER THE AIRPORT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED. I WELCOME THIS. IT ACCORDS ENTIRELY WITH OUR VIEW. I AM GLAD, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT AN AGREEMENT ON THE DEFENCE LANDS PORTFOLIO NOW LOOKS WITHIN REACH.

/MORE BROADLY,