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not just about an airport.
It is about the expansion of
the whole port of Hong Kong both sea and air, for both
freight and passengers.
The decision on the airport triggers plans for the
port. In crude terms we are looking to double our capacity
by the end of the century. A massive breakwater between two
of our islands will double the sheltered area of harbour.
Sites have been pinpointed for new container terminals,
multi purpose bei Ulis, caryu handling arÇAR aud all the
back-up facilities needed for this massive expansion.
On top of this come the roads and railways, the
bridges and tunnels and everything else required to link
the new port and airport to the existing urban areas of
Kowloon and Hong Kong. A great deal of reclamation work
will be needed. A third tunnel will have to be built under
the harbour. (We opened the second only a month ago..
Taken together there is over US$16 billion of
construction projects waiting for bidders. True to our
open economic philosophy, the world will be welcome to
compete to build them and compete on equal terms. We
believe in free trade. We practice it. We believe in
level playing fields. We play on them.