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British Embassy
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Fax No 532 1939 Ext 239 (during office hours)
532 1939 (outside office hours)
FAX/SERIAL NO...00 4.4-71-2203387 DATE 19/10/92
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Thursday, October 15, 1992
TRANSCRIPT: British Senior Representative of JLG, Anthony Galsworthy speaks to press after Airport Committee meeting at Colvin House
Reporter: No smiles Tony, doesn't look good.
Mr Galsworthy:
Well, as Ambassador Guo has just told you the Chinese side did reject the proposals which we put forward on September 16. They criticised most aspects of those proposals but they put forward no ideas of any kind of their own. We continue
We continue to believe that the proposals which we put forward were reasonable and good ones. They were based on Chinese ideas, ideas about which they now seem to be having second thoughts. There is no doubt that the use of a portion of the Land Fund before 1997 was fully foreseen in the Joint Declaration and assurances were given to us on a number of occasions in the past the Chinese side would take a reasonable attitude to any such request. It has never been our intention that the land should be outside the land disposal programme as such, merely that the amount should be extra, over and above the normal land disposal. I think that's all I'd say by way of starters.
Q:
Where do we go from here then?
Mr Galsworthy;
Well, I've asked the Chinese side to reflect again on their position because since they have not produced ideas of their own, wê find it very difficult to understand what it is they want.
Q:
Could you elaborate on what you were saying about the Chinese appearing to have second thoughts?
Mr Galsworthy:
Well, we had accepted proposals which they themselves put and as I said last time, we'll now see whether they can accept the answer "yes". Well, they didn't. I think, they didn't say they were having second thoughts, but one has to ask whether or not they are,
Q:
Can you tell us if any mention was made of Mr Patten's speech last week?
Mr Galsworthy:
No mention at all
at all was made of it. The Chinese side have repeatedly said that there is no link in their minds between the airport and constitutional matters. They made no such link this morning. I think, if there were any such link, they would have quite a lot to explain.
Q:
Mr Galsworthy, did you tell the Chinese that if there is no agreement reached, the Government is going fund the airport alone?
Mr Galsworthy:
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This was not discussed this morning.
Mr Galsworthy, do you think that the airport will be inevitably
e delayed?
Ir Galsworthy:
That's very hard to say. We are still trying to reach an agreement that will enable the airport to proceed as the Governor has
that the all that said, there is no doubt at all
airport will be built eventually. There may be a delay, I can't say. We have not, but that cannot be ruled out.
2:
Are you going back to the drawing board then? Are you going to have come up with another proposal that they may like? Is that what is yoing to be like?
Mr Galsworthy:
No, I think it's impractical for the British side to constantly produce new proposals which the Chinese side then reject. If they don't like our proposals we would expect them to produce some ideas of their own. Well, they did so on September 9. We built on those but now
that that they they don't like the results of that. If they don't like should produce some further ideas.
Q:
Mr Galsworthy, is there any kind of deadline for the Chinese to come up with proposals because it's dragging on for too long now?
Mr Galsworthy:
The main deadline before us now is the tender expiry date on the airport platform, which is the end of November.
Q:
Do you think there will be any breakthrough when the Governor goes to Beijing? Is that where it lies now?
Mr Galsworthy:
Well, I obviously hope so. That is likely to be the next area of discussion, certainly.
Q:
Will Patten be bringing this up in Beijing?
Mr Galsworthy:
all the Of course. It's bound to arise. He will be covering most important issues and obviously this is one of the most important before us.
Q:
So, as far as you're concerned there won't be any new proposals from the British side?
Mr Galsworthy:
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