XN000022-1994-10-25 — Page 4

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1994

QUESTION:

LU PING BRIEFED A PWC CONSTITUTION... OVER THE AIRPORT ISSUE RECENTLY? AT FIRST, THE BRITISH SIDE NOT TO COMPLICATE MATTER AGAIN. SO, WILL YOU EXPECT THE ISSUE WILL BE SOLVED IN THE COMING ONE OR TWO WEEKS?

GOVERNOR:

WELL, I THINK THAT THE ISSUE COULD BE SOLVED VERY QUICKLY. I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE NEXT 980-ODD DAYS TRYING TO ASSIGN ON BLAME FOR WHY THINGS DON'T GO MORE RAPIDLY. I THINK THE OBLIGATION US ALL IS TO TRY TO FIND WAYS OF SOLVING PROBLEMS RATHER THAN DISCUSS WHY THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SOLVED. BUT I VERY MUCH AGREE WITH DIRECTOR LU PING IF HE IS SAYING THAT THE AIRPORT COULD BE

OUT SORTED

VERY

I QUICKLY.

THINK IT COULD BE SORTED OUT VERY QUICKLY, I THINK IT WILL BE SHOULD BE SORTED OUT VERY QUICKLY, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT SORTED OUT VERY QUICKLY. AND I NOTICED, AS WELL, WHAT AMBASSADOR GUO SAID YESTERDAY, I THINK HE ACTUALLY RESIGNS FROM PUBLIC SERVICE

BY WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, SO IF WE GET AN OVERALL AGREEMENT THEN WE'LL ALL BE DELIGHTED. WE'LL ONLY BE ABLE ΤΟ THROW BERETS RATHER THAN HATS IN THE AIR BECAUSE WE'VE STILL GOT

THE AS WELL AS

OVERALL MINUTE

WE'VE STILL GOT TO AGREE THE FINANCIAL SUPPORT AGREEMENTS WHICH ARE IMPORTANT AS FAR AS BANKERS ARE CONCERNED, THEY SHOULD FOLLOW VERY CLOSELY ON ANY AGREEMENT ON OVERALL FINANCING. I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD PRODUCE ANY PROBLEMS.

—

—

BUT

IN THE MEANTIME, I'D LIKE TO PAY A TRIBUTE TO THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY WHO'VE GONE ON BUILDING THE AIRPORT AT A QUITE ASTONISHING PACE, AS ANY OF YOU WILL KNOW WHO'VE FLOWN OVER SITE

BUT MY OVERALL MESSAGE IS: RECENTLY,

YES, WE SHOULD AGREEMENT ON THE AIRPORT VERY QUICKLY.

THE

GET

AN

MR

SUCH PATTEN, IF THE (INAUDIBLE) ON ISSUES QUESTION: ADAPTATION OF LAWS (INAUDIBLE) AND IF CHINA MAINTAINS ITS (INAUDIBLE).

AS THE

GOVERNOR:

WELL I SAID THAT THESE WERE MATTERS FOR CONSULTATION IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP AND IT STANDS TO REASON THAT WE'RE ALL BETTER OFF, WE'RE ALL

OF BETTER SERVED, IF WE CAN PROCEED ON THE BASIS AGREEMENT. WE'RE ALSO ALL BETTER SERVED IF WE HAVE, DAY AFTER WEEK AFTER WEEK, BEFORE AND AFTER 1997, EFFECTIVE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT WHICH TAKES DECISIONS IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AS WE HAVE BEEN DOING.

QUESTION:

GOVERNOR, ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF THE RULE OF THINK BEFORE YOU ALREADY MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD (INAUDIBLE) CAN YOU ENSURE THAT (INAUDIBLE) LAW ABOUT THE LOCALISATION?

GOVERNOR:

WELL, I ANSWERED THAT QUESTION AT SOME ACADEMIC AT THE OUTSET, AND I DON'T THINK I WANT TO ADD ANYTHING.

DAY,

LED

LAW, I SO HOW

LENGTH

QUESTION:

(INAUDIBLE}

GOVERNOR:

I DON'T WANT TO ADD TO WHAT I'VE SAID.

QUESTION:

ORGANISATIONS

SOME REPORTS HAVE SAID THAT HONG TRIED

KUOMINTANG

IN

GOVERNMENT

KONG-BASED TAIWANESE

OF TO ORGANISE AN ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

THE THE NOVEMBER BUT DUE TO THE PRESSURE FROM

HONG KONG CAN YOU CLARIFY WHETHER IT CALLED OFF THE FUNCTION. GOVERNMENT HAS PUT ANY PRESSURE TO THE ORGANISERS?

THE

/GOVERNOR: