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CRITICISED FOR NOT OBSERVING THE MOU: BUT THE PRIME AIM REMAINED TO REACH AN OVERALL AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE SIDE.
9.
REPORTS NOTED (20.11) A STATEMENT BY THE CHINESE TEAM LEADER GUO FENGMIN ISSUED VIA THE NCNA. IT SAID THE CHINESE SIDE DISAGREED WITH ANY UNILATERAL DECISION TAKEN BY THE BRITISH SIDE AND WITHOUT AN AGREEMENT, THE DECISION TO GO IT ALONE WITH THE AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION WOULD BRING ABOUT A HEAVY FINANCIAL BURDEN TO THE FUTURE SARG AND RESULT IN HUGE WASTES, THEREBY GOING AGAINST THE MOU. THE BRITISH SIDE WOULD HAVE TO BEAR ALL THE
CONSEQUENCES.
10. REPORTS NOTED (20.11) THAT THE CRC AND THE UDHK SUPPORTED THE FUND APPLICATION IN PRINCIPLE. THE CRC URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO SEPARATE THE SITE PREPARATION CONTRACT, ACCEPTED AS BEING URGENT, FROM SOME 14 OTHERS FOR WHICH ANOTHER FUNDING REQUEST COULD BE SUBMITTED LATER. MEETING POINT MEMBERS SAID THEY WERE INCLINED TO REJECT BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT PROVIDE A
CONTINGENCY PLAN.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS
11. THE LABOUR PARTY'S HK AFFAIRS COMMITTEE SPOKESMAN, ALLAN ROGERS, REAFFIRMED (14.11) THE PARTY'S SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S POLITICAL PROPOSALS. SEVERAL COMMUNITY GROUPS, INCLUDING A HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP, IN A HALF-PAGE ADVERTISEMENT IN THE MING PAO, EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT FOR THE GOVERNOR'S CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM PACKAGE.
12. IT WAS NOTED (14.11) A CNA COMMENTARY HAD DESCRIBED THE GOVERNOR'S DEMOCRATISATION EFFORTS TO A FARMER WHO TRIED TO MAKE HIS SEEDLING GROW TALLER BY PULLING IT. IT CRITICISED THE GOVERNOR AND HIS FOLLOWERS FOR USING FORCE TO MAKE THE 'YOUNG SEEDLING OF DEMOCRACY' IN HK GREW TALL. THIS WOULD DIVIDE LEGISLATORS AND HK PEOPLE, LEAD TO SOCIAL INSTABILITY AND ROCK INVESTORS' CONFIDENCE AND DAMAGE THE ECONOMY. THE COMMENTARY SAID HK PEOPLE SHOULD WATCH OUT FOR THE REAL MOTIVE BEHIND THE FARMER'S ACTIONS.
13.
A HKMAO SPOKESMAN WAS QUOTED (15.11) AS REFERRING TO LEGCO'S PASSAGE OF THE MCGREGOR MOTION AS INDICATION THAT THE GOVERNOR WAS UPGRADING HIS CHALLENGE TO THE CHINESE SIDE. THE SPOKESMAN SAID ANY PACKAGE WHICH WOULD NOT CONVERGE WITH THE BL WOULD NOT SURVIVE 1997. HKMAO VICE DIRECTOR, CHEN ZIYING, WAS QUOTED AS
3
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