UNCLASSIFIED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 8
AND TO IMMEDIATE DTI
OF 08094OZ JANUARY 90
INFO ROUTINE WASHINGTON
UNCLASSIFIED
9
173466
MDHIAN 1556
HKC1821
RECEN
REGISTRY
N 1990
STRY
un Taken
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
DTI FOR ADAMS PEP AND LOVE 012
U.S. SUPPORT FOR COMMERCIAL EFFORTS IN HONG KONG, INCLUDING AIRPORT PROJECT
1. AS ITS FRONT PAGE LEAD STORY OF 7 JANUARY THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST REPORTED THAT A LEADING WASHINGTON THINK TANK, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, HAD SAID THAT IF HONG KONG WANTS THE U.S. TO SAFEGUARD
ITS
FUTURE SPECIAL STATUS UNDER CHINESE RULE, THE TERRITORY SHOULD CHOOSE AMERICAN FIRMS TO BUILD ITS GBP10 BILLION NEW AIRPORT.
2. THE SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, PINES, IS QUOTED AS SAYING ONLY THE U.S. WAS IN A POSITION TO GUARANTEE HONG KONG'S FUTURE AUTONOMY BECAUSE OF THE IMPORTANCE PEKING PLACES ON
SINO U.S. RELATIONS. HOWEVER HONG KONG SHOULD SEND THE RIGHT
SIGNALS TO THE U.S. AND THAT IT COULD DEMONSTRATE THAT IT WANTED INCREASED U.S. ECONOMIC INVOLVEMENT IN HONG KONG BY MAKING A SPECIAL EFFORT TO SELECT AMERICAN FIRMS FOR THE AIRPORT PROJECT QUOTE THERE SHOULD BE AN EXTRAORDINARILY LARGE INVOLVEMENT BY THE
U.S. IN BUILDING THE AIRPORT UNQUOTE. THE AIRPORT DECISION WAS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND POLITICS SHOULD THEREFORE PLAY A PART IN AWARDING THE CONTRACTS.
-
3. PINE SAID AMERICAN FIRMS WERE EXPERT IN BUILDING AIRPORTS AND A VERY STRONG U.S. INVOLVEMENT QUOTE WOULD GO VERY FAR IN GUARANTEEING HONG KONG'S SPECIAL STATUS UNQUOTE.
4. THE SAME REPORT SAID THAT U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS SAW THE
DECISION TO BUILD AN AIRPORT AS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED AND WANTED TO SEE AMERICAN FIRMS WIN QUOTE A LARGE SLICE OF THE LUCRATIVE CONTRACTS UNQUOTE. THE REPORT GOES ON THAT HONG KONG'S SHORT LIST OF 5 (OUT OF
8) AMERICAN FIRMS FOR THE AIRPORTS MASTER PLAN (MY TELNOS 1 AND 2) HA
S
EXCITED U.S. OFFICIALS, BUT COMPLAINTS ARE HEARD THAT THE U.S.
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PAGE
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