HK GOVERNMENT HOUSE
852 521 1868
P.02
-OCT-1992 19:32
G.I.S.
Ref. Gis/2/7/850
PRESS CONF
KAI TAK PRESS
+ 852 537 1540 P.02
fuzon GLS.CO.O. D
Friday, October 23, 1992
TRANSCRIPT: Governor speaks to press on return from Peking
Hello. I've had an interesting visit to Peking, but I'm bound to say it's extremely nice to be home. As I think you know, I'll be briefing the Executive Council tomorrow morning and after that I'll be briefing the Legislative Council and then answering their questions for about an hour. So that will obviously be the main opportunity for the representatives of the public of Hong Kong to put their questions to me about the last couple of days of talks that I've had.
Q:
I'll answer a couple of questions if anybody's got them.
Mr Patten, Mr Lu Ping had said that if Hong Kong is to build it's airport without Chinese approval, China will not honour any of the contracts nor will they allow the aircraft to fly through Chinese airspace. Under such circumstances, how confident are you that you still have the backing of businessmen and for that matter, the people of Hong Kong?
Governor:
I think it would be very difficult to complete the project as rapidly as we would like unless we did so as part of an overall agreement with China and Chinese officials. So I'm not sure that the -question of Chinese airspace actually comes into matters. I think it's somewhat academic. But what is my obligation? My obligation is, if we can't a comprehensive agreement to do what I can to keep work going on the airport. That's what I think China would expect of me and it's certainly what Hong Kong would expect of me. People in Hong Kong know very well that there will be an airport, that it will be a very good airport when it's completed. If other people and, I'll have to go on saying this, have alternative proposals for funding the airport better, it would be very helpful to us all; very helpful to everyone in Hong Kong for them to put those ideas forward.
Q:
One more question..
It sounds like you basically, totally rejected, out of hand, everything that has been offered... (indistinct)
Governor :
I think that people in Hong Kong would be very surprised if all that we were to hear was criticism and not alternative proposals on the airport or much more important, political development. You know perfectly well that I haven't invented the fact that I have to bring forward arrangements for the 1995 elections. I have to do that. If people don't like my proposals I think people in Hong Kong would expect them to put forward their own proposals, their own alternatives. Anyway we'll have to consider these questions in a calm and sensible way and go on showing that people in Hong Kong are wholly capable of discussing these matters rationally and intelligently in a restrained and responsible way.
Thank you very much indeed.
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