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144065 MDLIAN 8792
AND WAS AIMED AT PRESENTING THE PROJECT AS A FAIT ACCOMPLI. MR JI SAID THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SUPPORTED THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW AIRPORT IN HK BUT STILL HAD QUESTIONS OVER THE SITE AND OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. HE HOPED THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT PLAY PETTY TRICKS OVER THE LARGE-SCALE INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE UNDER THE STATE COUNCIL SAID IN PEKING THAT THE CHINESE AND BRITISH SIDES SHOULD CO-OPERATE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF MAJOR PROJECTS IN HK INSTEAD OF CREATING OBSTACLES, THE PAPERS REPORTED (13.10), QUOTING A PEKING NCNA DISPATCH. COMMENTING ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE BUILDING OF THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING, THE SPOKESMAN FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD SUDDENLY ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE CHINESE TEAM. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE TEAM VISITING HK ON THE PADS SCHEME, LUO JIAHUAN, WAS QUOTED IN THE REPORTS (13.10) AS SAYING THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT'S SUDDEN ANNOUNCEMENT WAS UNWISE AND COULD NOT BE UNDERSTOOD. HE SAID THAT CHINESE EXPERTS ADOPTED A SINCERE, FRIENDLY AND CO- OPERATIVE ATTITUDE IN THE VISIT.
9. MANY PAPERS CARRIED EDITORIALS AND COMMENTARIES ON THE PADS PROJECTS (13-14.10) THE LEFT-WING PAPERS WERE UNITED IN THEIR CRITICISM OF THE GOVERNMENT FOR MAKING HASTY DECISIONS WITHOUT CONSULTING THE CHINESE ON THE ISSUE.
10. LEADER OF A DELEGATION OF PO LEUNG KUK, CHONG KAI-CHING, ON HIS RETURN FROM A VISIT TO PEKING, QUOTED THE DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, JI PENGFEI, AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT MAKE PUBLIC ITS STANCE ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT BEFORE IT FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE REASONS FOR THE PLANS AND RELEVANT INFORMATION.
NATIONALITY
11. THE TABLING OF THE ORDER-IN-COUNCIL ON THE POINTS SYSTEM FOR THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE IN PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY NIGHT (HK TIME) TOPPED THE NEWS (16.10). MING PAO (11.10) REPORTED THAT A PROPOSAL BY BRITISH FIRMS IN HK TO SET UP A SEPARATE CATEGORY FOR THEIR LOCAL EMPLOYEES HAD BEEN SHELVED, WHICH MADE THESE COMPANIES UNHAPPY. AN FCO SPOKESMAN IN HK, ANTHONY OSBORNE, EXPLAINED THAT BRITAIN DID NOT SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL BECAUSE THE UK HAD TO SOLVE THE BRAIN PROBLEM OF HK AS A WHOLE AND THE POINTS SYSTEM UNDER THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD GRANT 35 POINTS TO THESE EMPLOYEES. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THOUGHT THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.
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