- 3
However, the paper (21.4) believed that the optimism expressed by China over the issue was an indication that China would be willing to make concessions to Britain in the end.
The Express (19.4) said that because China wanted HK's new airport to help the economic development of the Pearl River Delta, it
and was now did not want the airport to be built at Chek Lap Kok, using all methods to delay the project in order to force the British-HK Government to give up the idea of building the airport at that site.
The paper said in another editorial (23.4) that if the new airport project was shelved, China, Britain and HK would all suffer. But it believed that an agreement would eventually be reached.
The Economic Times (23.4) also felt that shelving the project The paper suggested that would bring losses to all three parties. since Britain and China did not seem to trust each other, a committee made up of HK people should be established to examine the financial arrangements for the project.
Ta Kung (24.4) referred to the three alternative airport sites recommended in a report by the HK Study Group for Infrastructure Development, and said that it was wrong to ignore suggestions on the siting of the new airport while the financial problems had not yet been overcome.
The paper added that if the HK Government eventually gave up plans for the Chek Lap Kok airport, local and overseas investors might, with the support of China, build a new airport somewhere else in the territory.
The Commercial Daily (24.4) asked why even Legco members did not know the truth while rumours about the possible shelving of the airport went around. The paper said that if Exco had really shelved the project, the public should be told.
Sing Tao (22.4) said that HK people hoped the new airport would be built but would not accept co-administration as the price.
The HK Daily News (18.4) said that building the new airport in a hurry would only benefit a few profit seekers, but would bring about Inflation that would hurt the general public.
The Economic Times (24.4) hoped that the Government would take another look at property developer Gordon Wu's proposals on the project in a bid to break the deadlock in the issue.
CHINA'S MOST FAVOURED NATION STATUS
A decision to be made by the US administration in June on whether China would continue to enjoy Most Favoured Nation status drew editorial comments from six Chinese papers during the week. The implications for HK were extensively discussed.