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Meraul: HVID
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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
163034 MDADAN 8769
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HKB 18214
PADS: PRESS REPORTS
SUMMARY
up.
1. REMARKS BY ZHOU NAN AND NCNA VICE-DIRECTOR ZHANG JUNSHENG. SPECULATION ABOUT RESUMPTION OF AIRPORT TALKS. COLUMNS IN WEN WEI
PO.
DETAIL
2. TODAY'S (2 MAY) PRESS WIDELY REPORTS COMMENTS MADE BY ZHOU NAN
ON THE AIRPORT. ZHOU WAS SPEAKING AFTER ATTENDING A FEDERATION OF TRADES UNION CEREMONY TO MARK LABOUR DAY. HE SAID CHINA WAS WELL PREPARED FOR THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS, DETAILS OF WHICH WERE BEING WORKED OUT THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS. HE WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT THE ISSUE COULD BE RESOLVED: THERE WAS NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT THE TWO SIDES COULD OVERCOME SUCH A QUOTE SMALL PROBLEM UNQUOTE. ONE OF ZHOU'S VICE-DIRECTORS, ZHANG JUNSHENG, ADDED AT THE SAME EVENT THAT CHINA ALL ALONG WANTED HK TO HAVE A NEW AIRPORT. THE SOONER IT WAS BUILT THE BETTER. ZHANG SAID REPORTS THAT LU PING
HAD SAID HK NEED NOT/NOT BUILD A NEW AIRPORT NOW EVER IRRESPONSIBLE AND ENTIRELY FALSE.
3. A NUMBER OF REPORTS SPECULATED ABOUT THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS. MING PAO QUOTED A BRITISH SOURCE AS SAYING IT WAS EXPECTED THAT TALKS WOULD BE RE-OPENED THIS MONTH. BUT THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS DID NOT/NOT IMPLY AGREEMENT WOULD BE REACHED. CHRIS OSBORNE WAS WIDELY QUOTED AS SAYING THAT BRITAIN AND CHINA HAD CONTACTED EACH OTHER TO DISCUSS THE DATE AND DETAILS OF THE NEXT ROUND. HE
DECLINED TO CONFIRM THAT TALKS WOULD START NEXT WEEK. YANG YOUYONG, DEPUTY HEAD OF NCNA FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, ALSO CONFIRMED THAT DISCUSSION ABOUT RESUMPTION WERE TAKING PLACE. THE CHINESE HOPED THIS WOULD BE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
4. A SIGNED COLUMN IN WE WEI PO POINTED TO THE CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND EXCO MEMBERS SINCE THE EXCO MEETINGS ON APRIL 16 AND 20. THE WRITER GAVE A NUMBER OF EXAMPLES. HE ADDED THAT OTHER STATEMENTS
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