XN000022-1994-09-16 — Page 5

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF FOREIGN SECRETARY'S PRESS CONFERENCE

THE

IS A FOLLOWING

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE BY BRITISH

SECRETARY, THE FOREIGN

RT HON DOUGLAS

AT CENTRAL HURD, GOVERNMENT OFFICES TODAY (FRIDAY):

AT

BEFORE

GOVERNOR: GOOD AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE'RE DELIGHTED THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS BEEN ABLE TO VISIT HONG KONG ONCE AGAIN A PARTICULARLY USEFUL MOMENT, JUST BEFORE NEXT WEEK'S JLG, AND HIS MEETING WITH QIAN QICHEN AT THE END OF THE MONTH AND I'D LIKE INVITE HIM TO SAY A FEW WORDS TO US.

ΤΟ

SECRETARY: ONE FOREIGN

OF THE TRUTHS ABOUT HONG KONG IS THAT IT DOESN'T STAND STILL AND THEREFORE THOSE WHO ARE IN ANY WAY INVOLVED IN ITS AFFAIRS HAVE TO COME HERE AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE IN ORDER TO SEE HOW VERY IT HAS MOVED FORWARD. IT'S A YEAR SINCE I WAS HERE AND THAT WAS

TODAY HAS BEEN A DAY OF SEEING FOR MYSELF HOW SHORT.

FORWARD. I'VE HAD LONG TALKS WITH THE GOVERNOR AND HIS

MORNING I MET MEMBERS OF EXCO AND LEGCO.

MOVED

THIS OFFICIALS.

WITH SOME

LAST OF THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEETING VISITED THE NEW AIRPORT TODAY.

THINGS HAVE

I

NIGHT.

I

SENIOR HAD A HAVE

IN

PEOPLE, THE WORLD OUTSIDE HONG KONG, AMONG IGNORANT STILL BE AN IDEA THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE HANGING ABOUT, HONG

MAY HANGING CIVIL

FAST.

BK

IMPORTANCE

GOING

HONG

THERE KONG IS BIGGEST AMAZINGLY

PRACTICAL KONG IS I REMEMBER WOULD BE

THE ABOUT AND WAITING, BUT IN FACT THE NEW AIRPORT, ENGINEERING PROJECT NOW IN THE WORLD, IS GOING AHEAD AND ANYONE WHO VISITS IT, AS I DID THIS MORNING, CAN'T FAIL TO

IMPRESSED BY WHAT IS DEEPLY

ITS THERE. ON AND ITS SYMBOLIC

AS IMPORTANCE, AS FAR ARE HUGE. I WENT TO SHA TIN, WHICH AGAIN CONCERNED, STANDING ON A HILLSIDE OUTSIDE SHA TIN AND BEING TOLD HERE THE RACE COURSE, HERE WOULD BE THE NEW TOWN AND THINKING, WELL, THAT'S

THERE IT IS NOW, AN AMAZING CITY. FINE, THESE WERE GOOD PLANS.

HIGH ENTHUSIASM STANDARDS OF HOUSING AND AS FAR AS I COULD JUDGE,

PLACE

BOARD. WE FOR THE DISTRICT ELECTIONS TAKING CANDIDATES AND THEY AND THEIR MANIFESTOES WERE QUITE REMINISCENT THESE PROCESSES ELSEWHERE AND THAT IN ITSELF WAS ACTUALLY EXCITING.

THE

HIGH

FOR

MET

THE

AND THEN NOW JUST IN THESE LAST FEW MINUTES MET BOTH SIDES IT WASN'T THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, THE BRITISH AND CHINESE TEAMS. OPERATIONAL MEETING BUT IT ENABLED ME, I HOPE, TO PROVIDE THEM WITH LITTLE BIT OF ENCOURAGEMENT TO PERSEVERE IN A JOB WHICH MOVES, BUT OUR VIEW MOVES TOO SLOWLY.

OF

OF

AN

A

IN

TWO WHICH FUTURE WHICH

STRUCK DURING THESE I'VE BEEN

DIFFERENT

BY OCCASIONS THINGS. FIRST, AS I HAVE BEEN OFTEN BEFORE, BY THE CONFIDENCE PEOPLE HERE HAVE IN THEIR ECONOMY, IN THEIR SOCIETY AND IN ITS PROSPECTS. THE FOUNDATIONS ARE STRONG. SECONDLY, THE EMPHASIS EVERYONE PUTS,

WITH DIFFERING ACCENTS, ON THE NEED FOR COOPERATION AS WITH CHINA

OF SOVEREIGNTY WE MOVE TOWARDS THE TRANSFER

AND I ENTIRELY AGREE WITH THAT, THAT MUST BE THE BASIS ON WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT APPROACH EVERY WITH PEKING. AND I URGED BOTH SIDES OF THE JOINT LIAISON AFTERNOON, URGED ON THEM THE NEED FOR MORE RAPID PROGRESS. FORMIDABLE BACKLOG OF WORK TO TACKLE, SUCCESS OVER DEFENCE LANDS SHOWS

EVEN THAT

BE MADE, DECISIONS CAN BE REACHED PROGRESS CAN SENSITIVE MATTERS AND THEY MUST CLEARLY PRESS AHEAD WITH THAT.

DISCUSSION GROUP THIS THERE IS A

ON VERY

/I SHALL