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022462
MDHIAN 6477
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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F CO
TELNO 1499
OF 141115Z MAY 91
HRB 182/4
FORIVED IN HEGIS
14 MAY 1991
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
PADS: PRESS REPORTS
SUMMARY
THE NEW AIRPORT WAS REGAINED MORE PROMINENT COVERAGE IN THE NEWS WITH THE PROSPECTS OF TALKS BEING RENEWED. MING PAO EDITORIALS OVER THE LAST THE LAST FEW DAYS. LITTLE NEW.
DETAIL
2. A MING PAO EDITORIAL ON 10 MAY SAID THAT EACH PARTY HAD TO MAKE CONCESSIONS. THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THE CHINESE SIDE'S WORRIES ON FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND SHOULD PROCEED WITH THE PROJECT IN STAGES. THE CHINESE SIDE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT THE BRITISH SIDE HAD TO MAINTAIN COMPLETE ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY. THEY SHOULD NOT MIX THE AIRPORT TALKS WITH OTHER ISSUES SUCH AS THE RIGHT TO SCRUTINISE MAJOR AFFAIRS DURING THE TRANSITION.
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ON 13 MAY, MING PAO AGAIN URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO WORK OUT A SOLUTION BASED ON EXPERIENCE GAINED DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MTR SYSTEM. IT SUGGESTED THE BRITISH SIDE SHOULD SCALE DOWN THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT AND HOPED THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD ''SCALE DOWN'' ITS DEMANDS OVER THE RIGHT OF EXAMINING HK AFFAIRS. IT SAID THAT THE CHINESE SHOULD NOT REQUEST AN OVERALL RIGHT OF SCRUTINY BUT RATHER SHOULD LIMIT IT TO SEEKING THE BRITISH SIDE'S CO-OPERATION THROUGH THE JLG ON SPECIFIC ISSUES THAT REALLY AFFECTED A SMOOTH TRANSFER SUCH AS THE VBP PROBLEM.
4. PRESS REPORTS TODAY (14.5) QUOTED SOURCES FROM BOTH SIDES REITERATING THAT THEIR RESPECTIVE POSITIONS HAD NOT CHANGED. THE STANDARD, HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL AND SING PAO QUOTED A YET UNPUBLISHED ISSUE OF THE WIDE ANGLE MONTHLY SAYING THAT CHINA HAD DECIDED THAT IT WOULD NOT APPOINT A DEPUTY CHAIRMAN TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY UNTIL 1994, AND THAT HE WOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT OF VETO. IT SAID CHINA WOULD HAVE TWO BOTTOM LINES'' ON
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