RESTRICTED
037552
MDLIAN
RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 241
OF 10043OZ SEPTEMBER 93
INFO PRIORITY CANBERRA
INFO ROUTINE DTI, PEKING, HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
INFO ROUTINE ATTC TAIPEI, TOKYO, SEOUL, SINGAPORE, KUALA LUMPUR INFO ROUTINE JAKARTA, BANGKOK, MANILA, WASHINGTON, WELLINGTON INFO ROUTINE BONN, EC POSTS
PART TWO OF TWO PARTS:
DTI:
HONG KONG: CANBERRA:
FOR PEP AND XAAA2D.
STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR POLITICAL ADVISER. FOR PS MRS BOTTOMLEY.
HONG KONG BVUSINESS PROSPECTS: VIEW FROM THE BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION.
CURRENT STATUS OF MAJOR PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES.
9.
DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTIES, DEVELOPMENT HERE PROCEEDS APACE AND IN CERTAIN SECTORS NOT BEFORE TIME IF HONG KONG IS TO RETAIN ITS COMPETITIVE EDGE WHILE IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE. THE PHYSICAL SHAPE OF HONG KONG HARBOUR IS PROBABLY UNDERGOING ITS MOST RADICAL ALTERATION IN HISTORY. THIS IS MOST APPARENT ON AIRPORT-RELATED PROJECTS. THE WEST KOWLOON RECLAMATION, CLEARLY VISIBLE FROM MY OFFICE, IS NOW PROBABLY TWO-THIRDS COMPLETE, EVENTUALLY BRINGING ADDITIONAL LAND EQUIVALENT TO THE WHOLE KOWLOON PENINSULA SOUTH OF BOUNDARY STREET. THE FIRST PHASE OF THE MASSIVE CONTAINER TERMINAL 8 WAS OPENED LAST WEEK, WITH THE REMAINDER COMING ALONG FAST. THE ASTONISHING TRANSFORMATION OF CHEK LAP KOK ISLAND INTO THE NEW AIRPORT PLATFORM IS ON SCHEDULE, ASSISTED BY THE PRESENCE IN HONG KONG WATERS OF THREE-QUARTERS OF THE WORLD'S OCEAN DREDGERS. THE FIRST PILLAR OF THE HUGE (WORLD'S FOURTH LONGEST) TSING MA SUSPENSION BRIDGE (TRAFALGAR HOUSE/ANGLO JAPANESE CONSORTIUM) HAS NOW REACHED FULL HEIGHT WITH THE SECOND NOT FAR BEHIND AND CABLE SPINNING TO START IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS. SITE FORMATION FOR THE NORTH LANTAU EXPRESSWAY AND RELATED WORKS IS WELL IN HAND.
10. OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS PLANNED OR IN PROSPECT INCLUDE POWER