XN000022-1994-10-31 — Page 3

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1994

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STONECUTTERS CONTRACT AN OPEN TENDER: GOVERNOR

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THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, THIS (MONDAY) EVENING SAID THE CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTING THE STONECUTTERS ISLAND BASE WAS AWARDED AS ALL GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, FRANCHISES AND GRANTS WERE AWARDED ON A STRICT-FORWARD LEVEL PLAYING FIELD BASIS.

RESPONDING TO A PRESS QUESTION, AFTER HIS RETURN FROM

LONDON,

ON THE IMPLICATION OF THE GRANTING OF THE STONECUTTERS ISLAND CONTRACT TO JARDINE, THE GOVERNOR DISMISSED THE SUGGESTION THAT IT WOULD WORSEN SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS AND MIGHT INFLUENCE THE AIRPORT AGREEMENT.

"IN THIS CASE, THERE WAS AN OPEN TENDER AND, I THINK, A NUMBER OF CHINESE OFFICIALS HAVE MADE IT CLEAR RECENTLY THAT THEY ARE KEEN ON OPEN TENDERS," MR PATTEN SAID.

"THIS WAS AN OPEN TENDER AND I AM SURE THAT THE RESULT WILL BE AN EXCELLENT BASE BUILT AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE.

ASKED ABOUT THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL, THE GOVERNOR SAID WHAT ALL PEOPLE IN HONG KONG WANTED WAS TO SEE THE COURT OF FINAL APPEAL SET UP AND RUNNING WELL BEFORE 1997 OTHERWISE THERE WOULD BE A GAP IN HONG KONG'S LEGAL AND JURIDICAL ARRANGEMENTS.

"IT'S A SUBJECT WHICH HAS BEEN VERY CLOSELY DISCUSSED SINCE THE FIRST AGREEMENT WAS REACHED BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, HE SAID.

"I DON'T THINK THAT THERE ARE MANY NEW ANGLES FOR PEOPLE то EXPLORE BUT OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF HEARING THE VIEWS OF THE LEGAL PROFESSION AND WE ALSO WILL WANT TO HAVE THE VIEWS ON THE BILL OF THE CHINESE SIDE AND THEN I HOPE WE CAN GET ON WITH THIS."

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TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION AT AIRPORT

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION BY THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER HIS RETURN FROM LONDON THIS (MONDAY) EVENING:

GOVERNOR: I'VE HAD A VERY SUCCESSFUL, ROUTINE, STOCKTAKING VISIT TO LONDON, PARTICULARLY VALUABLE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS AND THE ANNUAL TRADE DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL DINNER WAS ITS USUAL SUCCESS. I THINK MORE AND MORE PEOPLE EACH YEAR COME TO THAT OCCASION. IT'S A TRIBUTE TO HONG KONG'S SUCCESS ECONOMICALLY AND COMMERCIALLY BOTH IN THE REGION AND INTERNATIONALLY, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE TERRITORY. AND THIS YEAR, WE HAD, I THINK, AN OUTSTANDING SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE BANK OF ENGLAND WHICH, I KNOW, THE INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED BY. I'M NOW BACK FOR AN OCCASION. IN ABOUT TWENTY MINUTES, I'M GOING ΤΟ THE GOVERNOR'S AWARDS FOR INDUSTRY CELEBRATIONS WHICH, I AM SURE, YOU'LL ALL BE FOLLOWING WITH GREAT INTEREST. ANY QUESTION BEFORE I GO?

/QUESTION: