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However the financing of the airport is only a part of the much bigger issue of the future of Hong Kong in the long term or, in the more immediate future, the value of post-1997 land leases. In handling the airport we will have to be very careful not to allow any discussion that is developing of the main issue to be side-tracked by it.
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I got the impression
in ExCo that S Y Chung felt the airport (whether in China or Hong Kong) could be used as a lead in to the main issue. But I feel this is the wrong way round, and that the Chinese might think of some way of dealing with the airport that would still leave the main issue unsettled. But if we can agree something on the main issue no problems would arise over the airport.
Cc: TJ B George Esq
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