XN000022-1994-11-04 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1994

GOVERNOR: WELL, AS OF 2.45 WHEN I LEFT THE OFFICE I DON'T THINK WE HAD RECEIVED ANY REQUESTS, ANY SPECIFIC REQUESTS, THOUGH I AM SURE WE WOULD WANT TO RESPOND TO THEM. THE POSITION IS THIS, WHEN WE WERE NEGOTIATING THE DEFENCE LANDS' AGREEMENT, WE MADE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR IN THE TALKS WHAT OUR RE-PROVISIONING PROCEDURES WOULD BE. WE EXPLAINED WHAT OUT TENDERING PROCEDURES WERE. BUT IT CHINESE OFFICIALS WOULD LIKE US TO SET OUT THOSE ONCE AGAIN, WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO DO SO. AS WE'VE SEEN WITH THE AIRPORT AND AS WE'VE SEEN WITH OTHER INFASTRUCTURE PROJECT AROUND THE COMMUNITY, WE HAVE A VERY GOOD AND TRIED AND FAIR WAY OF ALLOCATING PROJECTS, AND GRANTS AND FRANCHISES IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND THE TAXPAYERS OF HONG KONG.

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, THE

LEGAL

PROFESSION URGED YOU TO OPEN UP CONSULTATION ON THE PART OF

SO ARE YOU GOING то DISAPPOINT THEM, OR ARE YOU GOING TO HANDLE IT DIFFERENTLY.

GOVERNOR: I'M GOING TO REPEAT WHAT I SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE YESTERDAY.

COUNCIL

QUESTION: NOW THE FINANCIAL PAPERS HAVE BEEN SIGNED, DOES IT MEAN THAT WE WILL SEE A BETTER SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP IN THE COMING YEAR?

GOVERNOR: WELL, I SPELT OUT IN MY SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OUR DETERMINATION TO BE AS POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE AND CO-OPERATIVE AS POSSIBLE. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR POSITION. I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE'LL SEE SOME RESPONSE FROM CHINESE OFFICIALS SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG. IT'S NOT IN THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG FOR US TO BE CONSTANTLY ARGUING. IT'S NOT IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG TO DEAFEN THEM WITH MEGAPHONE DIPLOMACY. WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WORK CALMLY AND QUIETLY TOGETHER. WE'VE GOT A VERY BIG JOB TO DO. IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB. BUT WE WANT TO BRING IT OFF AS SUCCESSFULLY AS POSSIBLE.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, DID YOU HAVE OTHER ENGAGEMENTS THIS MORNING AT THE TIME OF SIGNING THE AGREEMENT?

HAVING

GOVERNOR : I'LL TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT I WAS DOING. I WAS

A MEETING WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS - THAT IS, THE

THAT IS, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND ALL OTHER SECRETARIES – WHILE THE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN THE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP TEAMS. BUT I THINK THAT WE DON'T WANT TO PRETEND THAT WITH THIS AGREEMENT ALL OUR PROBLEMS ARE AT AN END. WE'VE STILL GOT DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE. WE'VE STILL GOT PROBLEMS WHICH REQUIRE CO-OPERATION IF WE'RE TO TACKLE THEM SUCCESSFULLY.

QUESTION: GOVERNOR, WAS THE SIGNING HELD UP, DO YOU THINK, SEVERAL TIMES

GOVERNOR: I DON'T KNOW. YOU'LL HAVE TO ASK THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT IN THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN PEKING. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ANYBODY WOULD MAKE DECISIONS WHICH ARE SO FUNDAMENTAL TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, ON GROUNDS AS SLIM AS THAT. I WOULD, THOUGH,

то LIKE

PAY TRIBUTE TO AMBASSADOR GUO AND TO

HIM A LONG AND VERY HAPPY RETIREMENT. AFTER THE HARD WORK HE HAS DONE, I'M SURE HE DESERVES IT. THANKS VERY MUCH INDEED.

WISH

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