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05 24
MDLIAN 3721
RELATIONS HAD IMPROVED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM LAST YEAR, AND THAT BRITAIN WOULD LIKE TO BUILD ON THAT. HE NOTED THAT CHINA HAD SHOWN A POSITIVE ATTITUDE IN ITS DOMESTIC AFFAIRS AND FOREIGN POLICY AND THAT IT WAS RIGHT FOR BRITAIN TO DEVELOP ITS RELATIONS WITH CHINA. HE INDICATED THAT BOTH THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, DOUGLAS HURD, AND HIMSELF WOULD LIKE TO VISIT CHINA BUT THE EXACT DATE HAD YET TO BE FIXED. ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT, LORD CAITHNESS SAID IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO KEEP CHINA INFORMED OF THE PLANS. HE REJECTED SUGGESTIONS THAT ASKING CHINESE EXPERTS TO COME TO HK TO DISCUSS THE AIRPORT PLANS MEANT INVITING CHINA TO INTERFERE WITH HK'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS.
AIRPORT 5.
A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY, SAID AT A PRESS BRIEFING IN PEKING THAT CHINESE AND BRITISH EXPERTS WOULD MEET ON HK'S PLANNED REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT, THE MEDIA (21.9) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. IN REPLY TO PRESS QUESTIONS, SHE SAID THE CHINESE HAD ALWAYS SUPPORTED THINGS AIMED AT MAINTAINING HK'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. HOWEVER, SINCE THE PORT AND AIRPORT PROJECTS INVOLVED HUGE FUNDS AND WOULD EXTEND BEYOND 1997, THE CHINESE COULD NOT EXPRESS ITS VIEWS UNTIL THEY HAD OBTAINED THE NECESSARY INFORMATION FROM THE BRITISH.
6.
NCNA LOCAL VICE-DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG SAID HE DID NOT THINK THAT DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT BETWEEN BRITISH AND CHINESE EXPERTS WOULD MAKE THE HK GOVERNMENT LOOK LIKE A LAME- DUCK GOVERNMENT.' HE SAID THAT THE PROPOSAL TO INVITE CHINESE EXPERTS TO EXAMINE THE AIRPORT PROJECT WAS MADE TO THE BRITISH MINISTER, FRANCIS MAUDE, DURING HIS VISIT TO PEKING. ZHOU NAN, STRONGLY INDICATED THAT THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT SHOULD BE DELAYED, THE HK STANDARD (24.9) REPORTED. ZHOU SAID THAT HASTY DECISIONS WOULD ONLY LEAD TO PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
JLG TALKS 7.
IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT ARGUMENTS BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN OVER THE QUESTION OF RELOCATING THE HMS TAMAR NAVAL BASE, WHICH HAD ONCE DIVIDED THE TWO SIDES, WOULD DIE DOWN AT THE COMING ROUND OF JLG TALKS IN LONDON STARTING FROM SEPTEMBER 25, BECAUSE OF HG'S DECISION TO POSTPONE THE CENTRAL/WAN CHAI RECLAMATION PROJECT, THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (20.9) REPORTED. AS EXPERTS FROM BOTH SIDES HAD RECENTLY MET ON ISSUES RELATING TO DEFENCE AND LAW AND ORDER, IT WAS EXPECTED THAT A COMMON VIEW ON THESE ISSUES WOULD BE REACHED AT THE COMING ROUND OF TALKS.
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