2. AIRPORT PROJECT
REACTION TO CURRENT CHINESE UNWILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE?
No one is in any doubt that the new airport project is in
the interests of Hong Kong: and of Southern China and the
region as a whole. Quite sure it will be built;
Hong Kong Government have been open about their proposed financing arrangements for the Airport Authority and the
Airport Railway. Chinese side have raised a number of
questions;
Confident that when these are tackled on their merits, we
will be able to reach a solution;
Way to resolve the problem is calm and private
deliberation.
Hope that the Airport Committee on 30 July
will be productive.
CHINESE PROPOSAL TO PROCEED WITH PLATFORM CONTRACT
- Would not be prudent to go ahead with this big contract in
advance of overall agreement. We have made a constructive proposal that the two sides agree all the airport financial arrangements first and continue discussing the rail link.
(The Chinese are considering this.)
IS THERE A DEADLINE FOR AN AGREEMENT ON THE FINANCIAL
ARRANGEMENTS?
It is important to sustain the momentum of the project as
contracts are awarded and construction works get underway,
but there is no single date or deadline by which everything must be agreed.
The site preparation contract for the new airport has to
be awarded within the coming one to two months to meet the
mid-1997 target date for the opening of the new airport.
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