UNCLASSIFIED
75
167512
MDLIAN 0686
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY F C O
TELNO 3084
1.
OF 23100OZ OCTOBER 90
NK3301
RECE
2 4 OCT 1990
EGISTRY
Action Taken
TOP COPY Q DIST?
hu
23/10
INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON PEKING, JUKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1.
THE MEDIA FOLLOWED CLOSELY THE MEETINGS BETWEEN CHINESE EXPERTS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ON THE PADS PROJECTS. COVERAGE OF NEWS RELATED TO HK'S FUTURE AND THE NATIONALITY ISSUE WAS ROUTINE.
AIRPORT
2. SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE TEAM LUO JIAHUAN SAID THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WAS CONCERNED NOT ONLY ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS BUT ALSO THE SITE FOR THE NEW AIRPORT, THE MEDIA (18.10) REPORTED. A DISPUTE WAS PROMPTED BY A REPORT IN THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS THAT QUOTED A HK OFFICIAL AS SAYING THE CHINESE TEAM ASKED 'SUPERFICIAL QUESTIONS'' AND HAD ''NOT DONE SUFFICIENT HOMEWORK''. SING PAO (18.10) QUOTED A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN REFUTING THE REPORTS. MR. LUO WAS QUOTED (19.10) AS SAYING THAT THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE DOLLARS 127 BILLION PROJECT WAS TOO EXPENSIVE SHOULD BE ANSWERED BY HK PEOPLE. MR LUO WAS QUOTED AS SAYING AFTER THE FIFTH DAY MEETINGS THAT HIS IMPRESSION WAS THAT THE PADS PROJECT WAS TOO BIG AND COMPLICATED AND THAT MORE TIME WAS NEEDED TO STUDY THE PLANS. HE ADMITTED THAT HE, NOT BEING A TECHNICAL MAN HIMSELF, COULD NOT UNDERSTAND SOME AREAS. MR LUO WAS QUOTED (23.10) AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE TEAM WOULD NOT MAKE CLEAR ITS STAND BEFORE REPORTING THEIR FINDINGS TO PEKING. HE BELIEVED THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS WOULD EXCEED THE GOVERNMENT'S ESTIMATE OF DOLLARS 27 BILLION.
3.
THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, WAS QUOTED (17 AND 20.10) AS SAYING ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS DURING HIS VISIT TO EUROPE THAT HK DID NOT NEED APPROVAL FROM PEKING TO CONSTRUCT THE AIRPORT BUT THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
1
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