SECRETARY for Planning, Environment and Lands Tony Eason said yesterday he hoped an agreement could be reached this year on land disposal arrangements. This was despite China's claim that the Government's unilateral action on democratic reforms would affect co-operation on other fronts. Mr Eason said China's interest would be served by holding the annual meeting of the Land Commission. A date has yet to be fixed by both sides. ''The land fund for the Special Administrative Region is dependent on the land disposal programme,'' he said. ''We would be quite surprised if we would not be able to do that [reach an agreement]. So, we are taking a positive view.'' The Chinese Land Commission chief representative, Chen Rongchuan, said on Friday that gazetting Governor Chris Patten's reforms would be certain to affect the group's work. But Mr Eason said yesterday there was no point in China undermining the revenue from land sales. Senior Chinese officials had already welcomed a stronger fund. ''Mr Chen is also reported to have welcomed the addition of the revenue from the land sales for the land fund,'' Mr Eason said.
