LPS: NO, NOT NEGOTIATIONS. I DID RAISE IT AND I DID MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IN OUR VIEW THE NUMBER WAS TOO HIGH BUT NOW IT IS A MATTER, TO A LARGE EXTENT, AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER WHICH WILL BE PURSUED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG AND THE
CHINESE AUTHORITIES THROUGH OFFICIAL CHANNELS. BUT I MADE THAT
POINT QUITE CLEAR.
REPORTER: DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY INDICATION OF WHEN THEY THINK THE SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES CAN BE COMPLETED ?
LPS: WELL, THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY DATES OR ANYTHING
OF THAT KIND BUT THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY PRESSING AHEAD WITH THESE. AND THEY ARE WELCOMING THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND THE PROVINCE OF GUANGDONG IN DEVELOPING THEM, BUT THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME ANY DATES, NO.
REPORTER: DID THEY GIVE YOU ANY IDEA OF ANY PLANS FOR DEVELOPING SHUMCHUN, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THE NEW TERRITORIES TOGETHER OR MERGING THE DEVELOPMENTS 7.
LPS: WELL, TO SOME EXTENT THEY ARE GOING HAND IN HAND AREN'T THEY
IN MATTERS OF INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ROADS AND ARRANGEMENTS FOR CUSTOMS AND ALL THAT WHICH NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED. THEY ARE GOING AHEAD WITH THEM AND THEIR OWN DEVELOPMENTS AND WE ARE MAKING OURS BUT THEY ARE KEEN THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE SHOULD INVEST IN THE ACTIVITIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER. THEY WANT THAT. IT IS TO THAT EXTENT THEY ARE GOING HAND IN HAND.
REPORTER: IS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TAKING 1997 INTO ACCOUNT OR WERE THERE ANY OTHER MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE FOR DISCUSSION ?.
LPS: OF COURSE THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS BESIDES 1997.
REPORTER: WHAT WAS THE REASON THEN FOR YOUR HAVING A SPECIAL TITLE FOR HONG KONG 7.
LPS: WELL, IT WAS DECIDED THAT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THIS PART OF
THE WORLD, THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE RELATIONS WITH CHINA AND OUR RELATIONS WITH JAPAN WHICH ARE TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT, A MATTER OF TRADE, BUT THEY ARE DEVELOPING POLITICALLY AS WELL, AND HAVE BCEOME MORE OF AN INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD, THAT IT WAS THOUGHT RIGHT THAT A CABINET MINISTER SHOULD HAVE PARTICULAR RESPONSIBLITY, AND IT'S ME.
6
/REPORTER: HAVE
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