UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
FM PEKING
TO DESKBY 23093OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 156
OF 230857Z MAY 91
AND TO DESKBY 23093OZ F C O
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG
28
055306 MDHIAN 8000
HKB 182/4
1991
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HONG KONG FOR BURNS, AUSS (VISITING).
AIRPORT TALKS : CHINESE PRESS CONFERENCE : 23 MAY.
"
1 JOURNALISTS HAVE TOLD US THE CONTENTS OF CHEN ZUO'ER'S PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AT 3.30 THIS AFTERNOON IN THE DIAOYUTAI. CHEN MADE THE FOLLOWING POINTS :
THE
THE BRITISH SIDE HAD SUGGESTED THE TALKS BE CONFIDENTIAL. CHINESE SIDE WERE PREPARED TO REVEAL THE WHOLE PROCESS AT A SUITABLE FUTURE DATE.
THE CHINESE SIDE HAD TABLED A POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE DRAFT AGREEMENT.
THE CHINESE SIDE HAD CONSISTENTLY WORKED HARD TO GET CONSTRUCTION OF THE AIRPORT STARTED EARLY AND CONSISTENTLY ADVOCATED GREATER TRANSPARENCY IN PLANNING THE PROJECTS.
NOTHING HAD BEEN DISCUSSED EXCEPT THE AIRPORT. HE LATER AMENDED
THIS TO THE AIRPORT AND RELATED MATTERS.
THIS ROUND WAS VERY ARDUOUS COMPARED WITH THE LAST. CHEN WAS STILL NOT PESSIMISTIC THAT AGREEMENT COULD BE REACHED.
THE CHINESE DRAFT AGREEMENT SHOWED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD MADE MANY CONCESSIONS. THE CPG REPRESENTED THE FUTURE SARG. THE TRANSITION IN 1997 WOULD BE A HISTORICAL EVENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AND COULD NOT BE COMPARED TO A CHANGE OF GOVERNOR IN HONG KONG. IT WAS A MATTER FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND
CHINESE GOVERNMENTS.
IF BRITAIN HAD LISTENED TO CHINA IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES THE
AIRPORT WOULD PROBABLY BE BUILT BY NOW.
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