XN000022-1995-06-29 — Page 5

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Governor: I think that I'll know better whether it's tomorrow on Friday, June 30.

Question: Is it possible to have the agreement tonight?

Governor: All things are possible. But I said yesterday when I was at the Royal Observatory that I am not a weather forecaster. I hope that we make the progress that the whole community wants to see. We've been working very hard in the discussions. Our team has been working very hard. I hope that that will lead to a satisfactory agreement. In the meantime, even as I speak today, and I know this because I flew over it on the way here, we are continuing to build the airport.

Question: Will this success of co-operation between China and Britain over CFA and the Airport Finance Agreement. Do you agree that there is a new co-operation starting, emerging?

Governor: As far as we are concerned, we've always been I think constructive and keen to co-operate. I hope that that produces the agreements and the movement that the community wants to see. The community does want to see agreed progress right across the board without of course ever sacrificing or compromising the medium and long term interest of Hong Kong. But I hope we will see a better atmosphere and I hope we will see more understanding of some of our problems. As I said yesterday, I thought that Mr Qian Qichen's speech at the weekend about the role and importance of the civil service was a very helpful and reassuring speech. I hope that he will be followed by others.

Question: Tomorrow will be exactly two years before the transition. What effort will be made to enhance a better co-operation between British and Chinese governments in this two years time?

Governor: I think we've shown our determination to co-operate particularly in recent months, I would argue in recent years too. If the closer we get to 1997, we see more commitment to co-operation as well from Chinese officials, then that will be widely welcomed in the whole community. Clearly we want to get as much done before 1997 as possible. We'd like to get through the still ominously large agenda that is before the Joint Liaison Group. We'd like to sort out other matters as well. And I think that it must be coming more apparent to Chinese officials that if we don't sort out these problems before 1997, it's going to be Hong Kong that unfortunately suffers and China that suffers. So there should be more enthusiasm for agreements. I don't myself think that we should expect a vast horde of agreements at the Joint liaison Group meeting next week. There's been some good movement in the expert talks. I am not sure whether that will result in a huge harvest in London next week, but it will be interesting for us to see what the atmosphere in those talks is because I think very often an improvement in the atmosphere ensures later on that there are a lot of agreements to haul in.