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ATMOSPHERE OF THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO PEKING HAD BEEN VERY FAVOURABLE AND THAT ACTIVE COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES WOULD HELP BOOST HONG KONG PEOPLE'S CONFIDENCE. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID JUDGING FROM MEDIA REPORTS, HE BELIEVED THAT SINO-HONG KONG RELATIONS HAD IMPROVED FOLLOWING SIR DAVID'S TRIP TO PEKING BUT THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT WHETHER THE TWO SIDES HAD MADE ANY SECRET COMPROMISE IN EXCHANGE FOR THE IMPROVED RELATIONS. EXCO MEMBER DANIEL TSE SAID HE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE IMPROVEMENT TO SINO-HONG KONG TIES WAS MADE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND THAT THERE WAS A CONSPIRACY BEHIND ALL THIS. ANOTHER EXCO MEMBER, WANG GUNGWU, SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE GOVERNOR HAD NOT MADE ANY CONCESSION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG'S ADMINISTRATION AUTHORITY AND THAT PEKING UNDERSTOOD THE
AUTHORITY TO RUN HONG KONG SHOULD REST WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. COMMENTATOR LO CHI-KIN BELIEVED THAT BOTH CHINA AND
BRITAIN HAD MADE SOME CONCESSIONS OVER THE AIRPORT PROJECT AND
THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT MIGHT SCALE DOWN THE PROJECT IN A
BID TO OBTAIN CHINA'S SUPPORT.
4. QUOTING PEKING SOURCES, ATV AND MANY PAPERS (26.1) REPORTED THAT SIR DAVID HAD AGREED IN PRINCIPLE WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS THAT ADJUSTMENTS WOULD BE MADE TO THE NEW AIRPORT PLANS AND THAT INVESTMENT WOULD BE CUT BACK AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. AN UNNAMED CHINESE OFFICIAL WAS QUOTED IN THE REPORTS AS SAYING THAT CHINA'S RELUCTANCE IN MAKING CLEAR ITS STANCE ON THE NEW AIRPORT WAS NOT AIMED AT MAKING THINGS DIFFICULT FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BUT HAD BEEN DUE TO THE RESPONSIBILITY IT HAD TOWARDS THE FUTURE SAR AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, AND THAT AS LONG AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD THE SORT OF SINCERITY THAT THE GOVERNOR DISPLAYED DURING HIS RECENT VISIT, PROBLEMS COULD BE SOLVED. THE OFFICIAL ADDED THAT BECAUSE THE POST-97 SAR GOVERNMENT AND ITS CITIZENS WOULD BE PART OF CHINA AND WOULD NOT BE INDEPENDENT, THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT HAD TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THESE PEOPLE ON MATTERS AFFECTING THE SAR GOVERNMENT. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS QUOTED A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SOURCE AS INDICATING THAT THE BRITISH-HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD NOT MADE CONCESSIONS IN ANY FORM DURING THE GOVERNOR'S MEETINGS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS IN PEKING IN EXCHANGE FOR CHINA'S SUPPORT FOR THE PROJECT. THE SOURCE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT SHOULD NOT BE SEEN AS A NEGOTIATION. IT WAS NOTED THAT SIR DAVID HAD INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF PHASING FOR THE AIRPORT PLANS TO DISPEL CHINA'S WORRIES ABOUT THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS.
AIRPORT (GENERAL)
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