CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 182/3
B.
40
146052
MDHIAN 5790
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 06140OZ F C O
TELNO 702
OF 061125Z MARCH 92
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 422:
COMMENTS BY LU PING
1. LU PING WAS QUOTED IN GUANGZHOU TODAY (6 MARCH) AS QUESTIONING WHY THE PAA HAD DECIDED TO AWARD THE AIRPORT DESIGN CONTRACT TO A BRITISH FIRM WHICH HAD QUOTED THE HIGHEST PRICE. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THIS TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. AND WE SHOULD GIVE COPIES OF THE AIRPORT MASTER PLAN TO THE AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE, RATHER THAN REQUIRING MEMBERS TO LOOK AT IT IN A LIBRARY. MIFT CONTAINS A SUMMARY OF NEWS REPORTS ON THIS SUBJECT.
2.
THIS FURTHER COMMENT BY LU HAS CREATED CONSIDERABLE MEDIA INTEREST. LORD CAITHNESS WAS PRESSED HARD ON IT IN HIS MEETINGS WITH THE LOCAL MEDIA THIS AFTERNOON. HE CAREFULLY AVOIDED BEING DRAWN INTO A TIT-FOR-TAT EXCHANGE WITH LU PING THROUGH THE PRESS. HE THEREFORE TOOK THE BROAD LINE THAT ANYONE WAS ENTITLED TO EXPRESS HIS OWN COMMENTS. BUT IT WAS FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE ON THE BUDGET. IF THE CHINESE HAD CONCERNS ON ISSUES STRADDLING 1997, THERE WERE CHANNELS THROUGH WHICH THESE COULD BE DISCUSSED.
3 =
WE ARE TAKING A SIMILAR LINE IN RESPONSE TO PRESS QUERIES.
OUR AIM IS TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS DEVELOPING INTO A PUBLIC ROW.
4.
IN THE LIGHT OF THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT, I THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO RAISE WITH QIAN IN A GENERAL WAY THE QUESTION OF PUBLIC COMMENTS BY CHINESE OFFICIALS. APART FROM THIS SERIES OF REMARKS BY LU PING, THERE HAVE AS YOU KNOW BEEN A NUMBER OF PREVIOUS ONES BY SENIOR MEMBERS OF THE NCNA HERE
ON THE PROBLEM OF INFLATION IN HONG KONG AS WELL AS ON RTHK (ALREADY COVERED IN THE BRIEF).
5. THE SECRETARY OF STATE MIGHT SAY THAT BOTH HMG AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ARE HAPPY TO BRIEF THE CHINESE PRIVATELY ON ANY MATTERS ON WHICH THEY HAVE QUERIES. BUT IT IS NOT HELPFUL IF
CHINESE OFFICIALS MAKE PUBLIC CRITICISM OF MATTERS WHICH FALL
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CONFIDENTIAL