Sylvia
Sontag.
PAGE THREE XBGR8851 PROTECTED
ORGANIZATION COULD BE SET UP WITH CDN SIDE.ASKED ON HOW PRC
WOULD PERCEIVE SUCH VENTURE IN WHAT APPEARS TO BE AREA OF
FOREIGN RELATIONS, WHICH UNDER THE BASIC LAW OF HKONG SPECIAL
ADMINISTRATIVE REGION IS UNDER JURISDICTION OF CENTRAL
GOVT, MEMBERS RESPONDED THAT SUCH RELATIONS WERE UNOFFICIAL IE
NOT AT STATE TO STATE LEVEL AND DID NOT EXPECT PRC TO OBJECT.
4.MEMBERS ASKED CDN MPS PRIOR TO THEIR VISIT TO PEKIN TO RAISE
WITH PRC OFFICIALS QUESTION OF NEW AIRPORT AND WERE MOST
GRATEFUL THAT MPS HAD DONE SO.THEY REPEATED COMMENTS MADE
PRIVATELY BY GOVERNOR WILSON WHO STATED THAT IT IS MOST
HELPFUL TJ HAVE FOREIGNERS ENQUIRING ABOUT HKONG ITS CENTRAL
GOVT, THUS EEPING ISSUE IN LIMELIGHT.MPS WERE TOLD THAT HIONG
GOVT WAS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO PROJECT, COME WHAT MAY, AND THAT
TENDERING DOCUMENTS WOULD BE RELEASED LATE THIS YEAR.THEY
EXPLAINED THAT UNDER JOINT DECLARATION, THIS PROJECT WAS UNDER
JURISDICTION OF LOCAL GOVT AND THAT BOWING TO PRC PRESSURES
WOULD STRIKE FATAL BLOW TO CREDIBILITY OF EKONG
GOVT.LEGISLATORS STATED THAT WHAT WAS NEEDED WAS PRCS BACKING
OR QUOTE NON-DISAPPROVAL UNQUOTE, WEICH WOULD PROVIDE COMFORT
TO LOCAL AND PRIVATE FOREIGN INVESTORS WHO ARE RELUCTANT TO
COMMIT THEMSELVES UNLESS PRC SHOWS ITS SUPPORT FOR PROJECT.
5.MPS AND LEGISLATORS ALSO DISCUSSED QUESTION OF EMIGRATION.
FROM LOCAL PERSPECTIVE, EMIGRATION IS VERY SERIOUS FACT OF LIFE
•
4
^.