CONFIDENTIAL
Fa
ADS
.C.N
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE LISBON
TELNO 001
OF 29090OZ NOVEMBER 90
حانة
INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG, DTI (FOR PEP AND OT2)
INFO PRIORITY UKREP JLG HONG KONG
143771
MDLIAN 0865
MACAU CALL ON THE ACTING GOVERNOR AND OTHERS
SUMMARY
1. CALLS ON THE ACTING GOVERNOR OF MACAU AND OTHER SENIOR OFFICIALS REVEAL THAT THEY ARE HAVING SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH THE PRC OVER THEIR AIRPORT PROJECT AS WELL AS PARALLEL DIFFICULTIES OVER LOCAL ELECTIONS AND LAND DEVELOPMENT.
DETAIL
2. DURING A VISIT TO MACAU ON 27 NOVEMBER I CALLED INTER ALIA ON THE ACTING GOVERNOR, NABO, THE UNDER SECRETARY FOR PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORT, VASCONCELOS, AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMPANY, FERREIRA. I ALSO HOSTED A LUNCH FOR THE DEPARTING HEAD OF CABLE AND WIRELESS.
AIRPORT
3. WORK IS WELL UNDER WAY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF MACAU'S FIRST AIRPORT. PARTS OF TAIPA ISLAND ARE BEING LEVELLED. PILING FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE (ALMOST 4 KILOMETRES LONG) IS UNDER WAY. NEVERTHELESS ALL FROM THE GOVERNOR DOWN WERE VERY DISAPPOINTED BY A JUST CONCLUDED WEEK OF TALKS WITH CHINESE EXPERTS. OSTENSIBLY THE TALKS WERE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF NOISE DISTURBANCE OVER SHENZHEN. THE MACAU ADMINISTRATION HAD FOUND THE CHINESE OBSTRUCTIVE AND UNREALISTIC (WHEN TOLD THERE WAS ONLY A ONE IN 10 MILLION CHANCE OF A PLANE STRAYING SUFFICIENTLY FAR OFF COURSE TO CAUSE NOISE PROBLEMS, THE CHINESE RESPONDED BY SAYING ''SO YOU ADMIT THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM''). THEIR AIRPORT PROJECT IS DEPENDENT UPON SUPPLIES OF SAND AND FILL FROM CHINA AND THESE SUPPLIES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY SLOWED OR CEASED, DESPITE THE CHINESE HAVING GIVEN PUBLIC APPROVAL TO THE PROJECT IN PRINCIPLE AT A POLITICAL LEVEL SOME WHILE AGO. THE GOVERNOR AND HIS OFFICIALS EACH SAID SEPARATELY THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE CHINESE WERE UP TO, OR WHAT THEY WANTED, SINCE THEY WERE QUITE WELL AWARE THAT THERE WAS NO SERIOUS RISK OF NOISE PROBLEM OVER SHENZHEN. THEY SAID THEY COULD CARRY ON WITH THOSE PARTS OF THE PROJECT NOT
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