CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY LISBON
TELNO 005
OF 13103OZ MARCH 91
AND TO PRIORITY FCO, PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 182 12
RECEIVED:
DESK
INDLA
UKREP
25 MAR 1991
AND TO ROUTINE DTI, HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
253
160127 MDLIAN 5446
DTI FOR GALLAHER PEP
MACAU AIRPORT PROJECT
SUMMARY
1. MACAU AIRPORT CHAIRMAN CONFIDENT THAT CURRENT IMPASSE WITH CHINA OVER NOISE POLLUTION WILL BE RESOLVED IN PEKING 13-15 MARCH. FUTURE PROBLEMS ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC), AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS (ASA) AND FINANCE MAY HOWEVER BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS.
DETAIL
IN
2. GRAHAM MET FERREIRA, CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, MACAU ON 8 MARCH. FERREIRA SAID LU PING HAS PROMISED ACTING GOVERNOR NABO DURING HIS VISIT TO MACAU THAT THE NEXT ROUND OF AIRPORT TALKS IN PEKING WOULD RESOLVE THE CURRENT DISAGREEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. VASCONCELOS (UNDER SECRETARY, PUBLIC WORKS) AND OTHER OFFICIALS WOULD REPRESENT MACAU, BUT FERREIRA WOULD ALSO ATTEND: THE CHINESE DELEGATION WOULD AGAIN BE MFA LED BUT INCLUDE CAAC. FERREIRA BELIEVED THE CHINESE WOULD NOT SIMPLY ACCEPT MACAU'S POSITION BUT WOULD DEMAND SOME CONCESSION.
3.
FERREIRA SAID A SUCCESSFUL MEETING IN PEKING WOULD BRING RELIEF THAT THE RUNWAY AND PILING CONTRACTS COULD NOW BE AWARDED AND WORK PROCEED. BUT THE REAL PROBLEMS WOULD COME LATER. NOISE LEVEL WAS A DIVERSION WHICH HAD DELAYED THEM 9 MONTHS. SAND SUPPLIES WERE NOW FULLY RESUMED.
4. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC). FERREIRA SAID THE VASCONCELOS/ICAO PROPOSAL (FOR A PRIVATE COMPANY EQUALLY OWNED BY CHINA/HONGKONG/MACAU TO MAKE AIR SPACE DECISIONS) WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA. THEIR CENTRALISED SYSTEM WOULD NEVER ACCEPT DECISIONS ON SOMETHING AS FUNDAMENTAL AS CONTROL OF AIR SPACE TO BE IN PRIVATE HANDS. HE THOUGHT THE TECHNICAL ATC PROBLEMS, WITH CHEK LAP KOK SO CLOSE, WERE ALREADY CONSIDERABLE WITHOUT CHINESE POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES. THIS WOULD BE A DIFFICULT ISSUE.
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CONFIDENTIAL