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IX PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
34. The Hong Kong Government have continued to implement
the Port and Airport Strategy. Port development is mostly
financed by the private sector, while it is intended that the airport, with its considerable associated
infrastructure, will be financed by both the Government and
the private sector.
(a) The airport
35.
Good progress was made on the new airport and related
infrastructure projects in the course of 1990. A number of engineering, feasibility and financial studies were
commissioned and some of the first work contracts were also
let.
A Provisional Airport Authority was established in
April to take forward planning and development. This will
be replaced by the Airport Authority proper in late 1991 or
early 1992. In October 1990, the Hong Kong Government
announced that they would finance the building of the Lantau
Fixed Crossing linking the airport with urban Kowloon. This
Crossing comprises two major structures, one of which, the
Tsing Ma Bridge, will rank amongst the world's foremost
suspension bridges.
36. The Government and the Hong Kong Government have sought
to encourage the Chinese Government to support the project.
During Mr Francis Maude's visit to Peking in July 1990 the
Chinese Prime Minister, Mr Li Peng, acknowledged that Hong Kong needed a new airport but made it clear that the Chinese Government could not give a substantive view until their own experts had assessed the feasibility of the project. A team of Chinese experts visited Hong Kong in October 1990 for a
detailed briefing on the financial and technical aspects of
the project. Two further rounds of expert talks were held in Peking in January and March 1991. The Governor also discussed the airport with Chinese leaders when he visited Peking on 21-23 January, and again with Mr Lu Ping when he
visited Hong Kong in March.
ALAAEV/13
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