UNCLASSIFIED
013300 MDLIAN 6136
ADVANCE WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT.
7. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (31.1) SAID THAT SIR DAVID WILSON HAD PROMISED THE CHINESE TWO THINGS DURING HIS VISIT TO PEKING ΤΟ MAINTAIN MORE COMMUNICATIONS WITH CHINA ON IMPORTANT MATTERS INVOLVING THE PERIOD AFTER 1997 AND TO SCALE DOWN THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT. HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SOURCES WERE HOWEVER QUOTED IN THE REPORT AS SAYING THAT THE SCALING DOWN OF THE AIRPORT PROJECT MIGHT NOT BE IN LINE WITH THE LONG-TERM INTERESTS OF THE TERRITORY BUT THAT UNDER THE PRESENT POLITICAL SITUATION, THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT HAVE OTHER OPTIONS. THE PAPER (30.1) REPORTED THAT A GOVERNMENT CONSULTANT HAD FINISHED A FINANCIAL STUDY ON THE RAILWAY NETWORK FOR THE NEW AIRPORT AND SUGGESTED THAT IT WAS NOT ECONOMICAL. IT ALSO (2.2) REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS DECIDE WHETHER TO POSTPONE THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAIL LINK.
8. CHINESE SOURCES WERE QUOTED (2.2) AS SAYING THAT A DESIGN
INSTITUTE UNDER THE MINISTRY OF AERONAUTICS AND ASTRONAUTICS
INDUSTRY WAS READY TO TAKE PART IN THE AIRPORT PROJECT BUT THAT
THE CHINESE SAID THAT VIEWS EXPRESSED BY ENGINEERS OF THE
INSTITUTE WERE MEANT TO BE PERSONAL AND DID NOT REPRESENT THE
INSTITUTE OR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.
NATIONALITY
BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE
9. THE MEDIA NOTED THAT UP TO THE PRESENT ONLY 3,600 APPLICATIONS FOR THE PACKAGE HAD BEEN RECEIVED. THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (30.1) SAID THAT ALMOST HALF OF THE 18,000 PEOPLE WHO RUSHED TO BEAT THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER FOR NATURALISATION HAD FAILED TO ATTEND THEIR INTERVIEWS. BUT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, REGINA IP, SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT AN INDICATION THAT PEOPLE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE NATIONALITY PACKAGE. SING TAO JIH PAO (3.2) REPORTED THAT THE BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION HAD INCLUDED 700 LOCAL BRITISH FIRMS IN A LIST FOR THE AWARD OF AN EXTRA SCORE OF UP TO 35 MARKS FOR LINKS BRITAIN. THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (3.2) SAID THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S SPENDING OF 1.4 MILLION DOLLARS TO BRING 37 BRITISH MPS ON TRIPS TO HONG KONG TO FAMILIARISE THEMSELVES WITH THE LOCAL SITUATION HAD PROVED FUTILE AS MANY OF THEM HAD VOTED AGAINST THE BRITISH NATIONALITY CHONG KONG) BILL.
AUSTRALIA
10. LEADER OF A VISITING AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION,
3
PAGE
UNCLASSIFIED