XN000022-1994-06-24 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 1994

DANGEROUS MUCH HOPE HAVE BEEN ABLE

GOVERNOR: I DON'T WANT TO MAKE PREDICTIONS. I THINK IT IS ΤΟ DO

THAT, AS IT IS TO PROPHESY THE WEATHER, BUT I VERY THAT WE'LL GET AN AGREEMENT SOON. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG VERY PATIENT FORTUNATELY. WHILE THEY'VE BEEN PATIENT WE'VE BEEN ΤΟ

GET ON WITH THE WORK OF BUILDING THE NEW AIRPORT.

AND EVERYDODY INVOLVED IN THE PAA HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDINGLY GOOD JOB. WE DO WANT TO GET THIS ISSUE OFF THE TABLE. WE DO WANT TO HAVE AN OVERALL FINANCING AGREEMENT WHICH IS UNDERSTOOD AND ACCEPTED BY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG. THERE ARE, I THINK ALL OF US ARE AWARE OF IT, A LOT OF OTHER ISSUES THAT

LIKE WE NEED TO TACKLE. THERE ARE OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THE NEXT CONTAINER TERMINAL. THERE ARE OTHER ISSUES LIKE THE LOCALISATION AND ADAPTATION OF LAWS. ALL THOSE ARE MATTERS WHICH I HOPE WE CAN RESOLVE IN A CONSTRUCTIVE SPIRIT. PEOPLE SAY THAT WE'VE GOT TO DO BUSINESSES AS NORMAL, ACTUALLY WE'VE GOT TO DO BUSINESSES A GREAT DEAL MORE RAPIDLY THAN NORMAL. THERE'S ONLY JUST OVER 1,000 DAYS LEFT UNTIL THE TRANSITION TO CHINESE SOVEREIGNTY AND WE WOULD MAKE THE MOST OF THEM.

QUESTION: A CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG SURVEY RESULT TODAY SHOWED THAT 90 PER

YOUR DON'T CENT OF THE PEOPLE INTERVIEWED

UNDERSTAND

POLITICAL REFORM PROPOSALS?

WANT TO

GOVERNOR: I THINK WHAT THAT SURVEY SHOWED THAT EVERYBODY'S WATCHING THE WORLD CUP VERY ENTHUSIASTICALLY. IN DOING THAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ARE BEHAVING LIKE PEOPLE EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD WHO AT THIS SORT OF TIME ARE, I SUSPECT, RATHER MORE INTERESTED IN WHO'S GOING TO WIN THE WORLD CUP THAN IN POLITICAL ISSUES. IT DOESN'T MEAN TO SAY THEY REGARD POLITICAL ISSUES AS UNIMPORTANT. I THINK THEY WOULD SEE GOOD ARRANGEMENT AGREED FOR ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COCUNIL.

IMPORTANT BUT JUST AT THE MOMENT THE FORTUNES OF PIAGET AND SIMILAR MATTERS ARE RECKONED AND TALKED ABOUT MORE AROUND THE SUPPER TABLES OF HONG KONG AND INDEED THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE, AND EVERYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD THAN THE NATURE OF FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES.

QUESTION: HOW MUCH AMOUNT OF MONEY WILL GOVERNMENT DONATE TO VICTIMS, FLOOD VICTIMS?

CHINESE

GOVERNOR: I'M

SUPPORT. FROM HOPING THAT WE'LL HAVE REQUESTS FOR COUPLE OF THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS, THE RELIEF ORGANISATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN UP TO GUANGDONG TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE PROBLEM ON GROUND. MEDECINS SAN FRONTIERES IS ONE OF THEM, I WAS TALKING TO

WE'LL RESPOND ON THE OTHER DAY. AND AS SOON AS WE GET THEIR REQUESTS, AS GENEROUSLY AS POSSIBLE. YOU HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

A

THE

THEM

QUESTION: I'D JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WOULD YOU PREDICT WHAT WOULD DURING NEXT WEEK'S DEBATE?

BE

HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE OF LAW BEHIND

GOVERNOR: I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL VOTE BY A

THAT ARRANGEMENTS SENSIBLE MARGIN TO PUT IN PLACE THE

A FOR SO LONG, WHICH WOULD GIVE HONG KONG

GOOD, DEBATED ELECTORAL SYSTEM WHICH IN DOING THAT WOULD UNDERPIN THE RULE AND THE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG. WE CAN THEN PUT THIS ARGUMENT US AND GET ON WITH A THOUSAND AND ONE ISSUES ON WHICH

WORLD CAN WATCH THE FINAL OF THE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OPERATE,

PLEASURE.

AND

WE

WE CAN CO-

CUP WITH

GREAT

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