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CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 2282
CONSISTENT WITH THE BASIC LAW. I HAD BEEN SURPRISED BY SOME OF THE MESSAGES I HAD RECEIVED FROM THE CHINESE SIDE. AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE QUESTION WOULD BE WHETHER MY PROPOSALS WERE ACCEPTED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE NECESSARY AMENDMENTS TO HONG KONG LEGISLATION WOULD HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY LEGCO.
I SAID THAT I WAS NOT UNDER COLOSSAL POLITICAL PRESSURE TO BUILD THE AIRPORT AT ALL COSTS, DESPITE WHAT SOME PEOPLE THOUGHT. I WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS IF I COULD BEFORE 1997. IF THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE, BUT NOT A MAJOR TRAGEDY. SOME PEOPLE SEEMED TO HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE IMPORTANCE THAT I AND THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ATTACHED TO THIS.
8. THE DAB (HK) MEMBERS SAID THAT THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT MY POLITICAL PROPOSALS WOULD CAUSE A STORM FROM THE CHINESE. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE CHINESE TO AGREE TO PROPOSALS THAT I HAD ANNOUNCED PUBLICLY IN ADVANCE. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE AIRPORT, BECAUSE THE SUBJECT WAS IDEOLOGICAL AND VALUE-LADEN. I MADE THE POINT THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD SET OUT THEIR POSITION VERY CLEARLY AND PUBLICLY ON THE COMPOSITION OF EXCO AND ON THE POSSIBILITY OF CHANGING THE BASIC LAW. I, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS ONLY SETTING OUT PROPOSALS FOR DISCUSSION. I HOPED THAT I WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR ALL CONCERNED TO LOOK AT MY IDEAS ON THEIR MERITS, AND THAT WE COULD FIND A WAY TO WORK TOGETHER.
PATTEN
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
63
DISTRIBUTION
67
.HK POLICY
HKD
PUSD
FED
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BARRETT
.AND MS BROOKS
NEWS D
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
SIR J COLES MR APPLEYARD
MR HUM
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