XN000022-1994-08-13+14 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1994

IN RESPONSE

STATEMENT ON AIRPORT TALKS

TO MEDIA INQUIRIES ABOUT REMARKS MADE IN PEKING (SATURDAY) BY MR LU PING ON THE AIRPORT TALKS, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID:

TODAY

**WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE FULL STATEMENT MADE BY MR LU PING TODAY CONCERNING THE AIRPORT TALKS, SO WE CANNOT COMMENT IN DETAIL; BUT

WE CAN RESPOND TO MR LU'S GENERAL REMARKS.

"AS BOTH SIDES ARE WELL AWARE, THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS FOR THE AIRPORT AND AIRPORT RAILWAY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL PART OF A FINANCING AGREEMENT FOR THE TWO PROJECTS. COPIES OF THE DRAFT DOCUMENTS HAVE BEEN WITH THE CHINESE SIDE FOR MANY MONTHS. SO ANY SUGGESTION THAT WE ARE INTRODUCING NEW ISSUES INTO THE NEGOTIATIONS IS NOT CORRECT.

IN ADDITION, I'T SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS ARE FULLY IN LINE WITH THE BASIC AGREEMENT REACHED WITH THE CHINESE SIDE ON THE $60.3 BILLION EQUITY AND THE $23 BILLION DEBT. THAT UNDERLINES THE POINT THAT WE ARE PROPOSING NOTHING NEW.

'WE WANT TO BRING THESE MATTERS A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION AND, AS WE SAID ON THURSDAY, WE HAVE SUGGESTED THAT EXPERTS FROM BOTH SIDES SHOULD MEET SOON,

MEDIA URGED TO HELP LAUNCH FAIR ELECTION.

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOUNDARY AND ELECTION COMMISSION, JUSTICE WOO KWOK-HING, TODAY (SATURDAY) APPEALED TO BROADCASTERS PUBLISHERS TO HELP LAUNCH AN OPEN, FAIR AND TRUSTWORTHY ELECTION,

MR WOO WAS SPEAKING AT A SEMINAR ON REPORTING ON ORGANISED BY THE HONG KONG JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION,

MR

AND

ELECTIONS

WITH

HE SAID THE MEDIA SHOULD GIVE CANDIDATES, BOTH INDEPENDENT

TREATMENT POLITICAL AFFILIATION, EQUAL, FAIR AND CONSISTENT

ORDER TO COVERAGE IN

ENSURE THAT ELECTION CAMPAIGNING WOULD BE CONDUCTED EQUALLY AND FAIRLY.

AND

OF

HE SAID THE COMMISSION HAD RECENTLY RECEIVED COMPLAINTS ON SOME MEDIA ORGANISATIONS THAT THEY WERE GIVING UNFAIR ADVANTAGE TO CERTAIN CANDIDATES OR POLITICAL PARTIES, THUS CREATING A SITUATION OF ELECTION CAMPAIGNING.

UNFAIR

"THE COMMISSION IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THESE CASES WHICH VIOLATING THE PRINCIPLE OF A FAIR ELECTION, HE SAID.

TREATMENT

ARE

WAS

IN

MR WOO ALSO SAID IF A COMPLAINT OF UNEQUAL SUBSTANTIATED, THE COMMISSION MIGHT MAKE A DENUNCIATION OR CENSURE

PUBLIC STATEMENT WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE THE NAMES OF THE CANDIDATES FAVOURABLY AND UNFAVOURABLY TREATED AND THE MEDIA CONCERNED.

A

/IF THE