XN000022-1994-10-27 — Page 9

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1994

QUESTION: WHEN YOU SAY AGREEMENT IS CLOSE ON THE AIRPORT, HOW CLOSE?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

QUESTION:

I HOPE IT IS A MATTER OF DAYS.

THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP OTHER DAY WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT ALL THESE LEGAL MATTERS THAT ΤΟ BE CLEARED UP WAS AN INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND THE CHINESE COULD THEM ON THEIR OWN.

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

JLG

THE

HAD

SOLVE

THE

HAS

I

ON

I DO NOT THINK THAT IS QUITE WHAT HE SAID, GOVERNOR WILL WANT TO ADD TO THIS. IN FACT THE WORK OF THE

AND MINISTER BEEN GOING AHEAD, TOO SLOWLY, AND BOTH THE FOREIGN AGREED THAT IT SHOULD BE ACCELERATED. BUT THE WORK HAS BEEN GOING BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY IT DOES MAKE SENSE TO HAVE THE WORK DONE BEFORE TRANSFER OF SOVEREIGNTY, AND NOT AFTER. IT IS FOR THE CONVENIENCE EVERYBODY THAT THE WORK IS DONE BEFORE AND NOT AFTER.

THE

OF

QUESTION:

INAUDIBLE.

FOREIGN SECRETARY: BECAUSE THAT

IS

IT MAKES SENSE TO THE CHINESE FOREIGN WHY HE AGREED WITH ME THAT THERE SHOULD

MINISTER

BE THIS

ACCELERATION.

QUESTION: MIGHT THE AIRPORT AGREEMENT TAKE PLACE TOMORROW?

FOREIGN SECRETARY:

I DO NOT KNOW.

[ GOVERNOR:

THIS THINK NOT TOMORROW BUT AS I SAID TO YOU SOON IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES MEANS SHORTLY.

MORNING,

QUESTION: WHAT IS STILL HOLDING THE DEAL UP?

GOVERNOR: THERE IS NOTHING HOLDING THE DEAL UP EXCEPT THE DATE OF THE ARE MEETING I THINK AT WHICH WE WILL BE ABLE TO SIGN. BUT THEN THERE OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS WHICH WE WILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH. FOLLOWING AN AGREEMENT ON THE MINUTE WHICH WE ALL HOPE, I REPEAT, WILL HAPPEN SOON, MTRC BANKS WILL

WE

THE WILL HAVE TO AGREE THE FINANCIAL SERVICE AGREEMENTS FOR AND THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY WHICH I THINK THE WANT TO SEE AGREED. BUT THERE IS NO DOUBT AT ALL THAT AN AGREEMENT ON

MINUTE WILL THE

THINK BE AN IMPORTANT STEP FORWARD AND I

BE WILL WIDELY WELCOMED IN HONG KONG WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE PROGRESS IN THESE DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAVE LASTED FOR SO LONG.

WILL THAT AGREEMENT HERALD THE NEW SPIRIT QUESTION: WITH THE CHINESE?

OF

COOPERATION

GOVERNOR:

OF

I THINK THAT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS TO NOTCH UP A RECORD SUCCESS BEFORE BOASTING ABOUT IT.

QUESTION:

DID YOUR DEPARTMENT AGREE WITH THE

MEMBER, EXCO

EDWARD

THAT ON SETTING UP THE CHEN,

LEGISLATURE IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT ITS POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE TO BE KEPT TO A MINIMUM?

GOVERNOR:

·

I THINK THAT OUR POSITION IS WELL KNOWN. THE PROPOSALS WHICH WERE PASSED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ARE ENTIRELY IN LINE WITH IS THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE BASIC LAW AND IN OUR JUDGMENT THERE

REASON WHY THEY SHOULD BE CHANGED. NO

THOSE WHO WISH TO CHANGE THEM WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY AND WILL HAVE TO EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR WHATEVER THEY WISH TO PUT IN THEIR PLACE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG.

/QUESTION: