CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO TELNO 149
OF 15110OZ JANUARY 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
Pa
PY
(53)
116222 MDADAN 3369
HKB 182 12
PADS STUDY GROUP
THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST OF 10 JANUARY ANNOUNCED THE FORMATION OF 'THE STUDY GROUP FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. T 1 THE ORIGINATOR IS SAID IN THE ARTICLE TO BE DR WANG LIANG-HUEW, SENIOR LECTURER IN GEOGRAPHY AND GEOLOGY AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY AND VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE PACIFIC RIM COUNCIL OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT. THE STATED AIMS OF THE GROUP ARE TO USE THE SERVICES OF LEADING HONG KONG PROFESSIONALS AND ACADEMICS IN ECONOMICS, PLANNING, ENGINEERING AND ENVIRONMENT TO ASSESS THE VIABILITY AND IMPACT OF MAJOR PROJECTS.
2.
SPEAKING ABOUT THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP, DR WANG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT ''THE CHINESE MAY ATTEMPT TO MAKE CAPITAL OUT OF THE DEBATE'' STIMULATED BY THE GROUP BUT THIS WOULD BE ''AN UNFORTUNATE BUT UNINTENTIONAL SIDE EFFECT''.
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3. THE GROUP'S MEMBERSHIP INCLUDES MR VINCENT LAU, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND SHANGHAI ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, AND MRS LINDA SIDDALL, DIRECTOR OF FRIENDS OF THE
EARTH.
4.
ALTHOUGH DR WANG SAID THE GROUP'S ESTABLISHMENT WAS
"A POSITIVE MOVE, TO ASSIST THE GOVERNMENT RATHER THAN BE A THORN IN ITS SIDE'', HE HAS BEEN A PUBLIC CRITIC OF THE GOVERNMENT'S AIRPORT PLANS. WE ASSESS THAT THE FORMATION OF THE GROUP MAY BE THE RESULT OF NCNA EFFORTS, USING THEIR CONTACT WITH VICTOR SIT, A READER IN THE SAME DEPARTMENT AS DR WANG, TO CREATE A LOCAL PRESSURE GROUP TO GENERATE CRITICAL COMMENTS ON PADS.
WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL