UNCLASSIFIED
68
074573
MDLIAN 5148
OA SOPY DIST?
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
[NKB 301
TO PRIORITY FCO
"..
- 8 OCT 1990
p.a.
TELNO 2915
OF 020907Z OCTOBER 90 M
un Taken
INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
ONDON
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INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP LG HONG KONG UKMIS GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO GENEVA INFO ROUTINE HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE : WEEKLY ROUNDUP
SUMMARY
1. THE MEDIA CONTINUED TO GIVE GOOD COVERAGE TO NEWS RELATING TO THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT. THE 16TH ROUND OF JLG TALKS ALSO DREW WIDE COVERAGE.
AIRPORT PROJECT
2. ATV AND SOME PAPERS (26.9), QUOTING CHINESE SOURCES, SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WANTED TO HOLD SINO-BRITISH TALKS ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT FIRST BEFORE THE START OF CONSTRUCTION WORK. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (26.9) SAID CHINA HAD INDICATED THAT THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD INSISTED THAT THE TENDERING FOR THE TSING-MA BRIDGE WOULD TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED IN EARLY OCTOBER. THE CHINESE HOPED THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT WOULD DEMONSTRATE SINCERITY AND DULY POSTPONE THE TENDERING FOR THE BRIDGE. WEN WEI PO (26.9) SAW THE WILLINGNESS OF BOTH HK AND CHINESE TO HOLD TALKS AND EXCHANGE VIEWS ON THE NEW AIRPORT PLANS
AS A GOOD BEGINNING.
3. NCNA HK DIRECTOR ZHOU NAN (28.9) SAID THAT THE TIMING, VENUE AND FORM OF MEETINGS BETWEEN CHINESE AND HK EXPERTS WOULD BE IRONED OUT BETWEEN BOTH SIDES THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. THE SENIOR CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE LAND COMMISSION, SUN YANHENG, SAID IT WAS STILL TOO EARLY TO DISCUSS THE ALLOCATION OF LAND FOR THE AIRPORT BECAUSE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT HAD NOT YET BEEN DISCUSSED. HE DENIED REPORTS THAT THE PROJECT WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT ROUND OF LAND COMMISSION MEETINGS.
4. THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THE CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT PROJECT SHOULD PROCEED BEFORE OBTAINING CHINA'S SUPPORT WAS DISCUSSED AT THE 16TH ROUND OF JLG TALKS IN LONDON, THE MEDIA (28.9) REPORTED. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (2.10) SAID THAT APART FROM HAVING
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