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DIFFERENT VIEWS ON THE PROJECT, BRITAIN AND CHINA HAD A SPLIT OF OPINION REGARDING HOW SINO-HK CONFLICTS SHOULD BE HANDLED. IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE CHINESE WERE INCLINED TOWARDS HANDLING THESE CONFLICTS THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS AND WERE UNWILLING TO OPEN A DIALOGUE WITH THE HK GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY FEARED THAT
ANY CONTACTS WITH THE HK GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE RISE TO A SITUATION WHERE HK COULD HAVE A DIRECT DIALOGUE WITH THE CHINESE ON AN EQUAL FOOTING. HOWEVER, THE BRITISH INSISTED THAT SINCE THE AIRPORT PROJECT WAS DECIDED BY THE HK GOVERNMENT, THE CHINESE SHOULD HAVE DISCUSSIONS DIRECT WITH THE HK GOVERNMENT.
JLG
5. A JOINT COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF THE TALKS IN LONDON RECEIVED GOOD (29.9) COVERAGE. HEAD OF THE CHINESE TEAM GUO FENGMIN SAID CHINA IN PRINCIPLE AGREED THAT A NEW AIRPORT SHOULD BE BUILT IN HK BUT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SCALE AND FUNDING OF THE PROJECT. ON THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE, MR GUO SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD ALREADY MADE CLEAR THEIR STAND WHICH REMAINED UNCHANGED AND WOULD NOT BE CHANGED. HE SAID THAT THE PACKAGE HAD CREATED CONFUSION AND CONFLICTS AMONG VARIOUS SECTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
6. TONY GALSWORTHY SAID THAT SUBSTANTIVE PROGRESS HAD BEEN MADE IN THE CURRENT ROUND OF MEETINGS. HE SAID BOTH TEAMS HAD INITIAL DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT. ON NATIONALITY ISSUE, HE SAID THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD ASKED THE CHINESE TO EXPLAIN HOW THE CHINESE NATIONALITY LAWS WERE TO APPLY TO HK AFTER 1997.
HK'S FUTURE
7. CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY CHIEF, JIANG ZEMIN, IN AN INTERVIEW WITH A NEW LOCAL PEKING-RUN MAGAZINE, BAUHINIA (29.9), SAID HK'S SPECIAL POSITION WOULD NOT BE TAKEN OVER BY OTHER PLACES. CHINESE PREMIER LI PENG (1.10) SAID CHINA WAS COMMITTED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS' PLAN AND OTHER LONG-ESTABLISHED POLICIES FORMULATED FOR HK AND MACAU.
8. SPEAKING AT THE NCNA HK BRANCH'S RECEPTION CELEBRATING THE CHINESE NATIONAL DAY, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THIS YEAR HAD SEEN AN IMPROVEMENT IN RELATIONS BETWEEN HK AND THE MAINLAND AND HE LOOKED FORWARD TO SEEING THIS CONTINUE, THE MEDIA (29.9) REPORTED.
OVERSEAS PRC NATIONALS
9. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THE RELAXATION OF WORK RULES FOR PRC
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