XN000022-1995-12-16+17 — Page 2

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ICC meeting in Hong Kong

The Sino-British Coordinating Committee on Major Cross-border Infrastructure between Hong Kong and the Mainland (ICC) held its 4th plenary meeting in Hong Kong on Saturday, 16 December 1995. The British side's leader Mr Bowen Leung, Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands and the Chinese side's leader Mr Zhang Liangdong, Director of the Economic Department, HKMAO, State Council attended and chaired today's meeting. The meeting received the reports from the various panels on their work since the 3rd plenary meeting and discussed the way forward for their work.

The meeting endorsed the progress made and the consensus reached in the panels. On the proposed Lingdingyang Bridge and the Shenzhen Western Corridor, both sides considered that from the perspective of long-term development, it is necessary to have an additional link between Hong Kong and South China. The British side further reported on the progress of the study on the two proposals' impact on Hong Kong's environment and transport infrastructure, which would be helpful to the Chinese side's further study on the feasibility of the two projects. On the question of the Tonggu Channel, the meeting came to the view that as the Western alignment would be relatively more viable in engineering and technical terms and more ecologically friendly, it should be the recommended alignment. The two sides agreed that the panel shall discuss their work in the next stage, including issues such as the engineering feasibility study of the Tonggu Channel. On the additional passenger crossing at Lok Ma Chau - Huanggang, the meeting came to the view that there was a need for an additional passenger crossing to enhance the capacity for handling passengers between Hong Kong and the Mainland. The two sides agreed to have further consultation on the arrangement for establishing this additional passenger crossing. On the question of airspace and air traffic control coordination for Hong Kong's new airport, experts from the two sides shall conduct their work on the basis of site visits to the neighbouring airports and further exchange of information.

The meeting reviewed the good progress made in the ICC in the past twelve months. The two sides hold the view that the continued cooperation and coordination between the two sides on major cross-border infrastructure projects is conducive to the promotion of developments in both the Mainland and Hong Kong. The date of the next ICC plenary will be decided in the light of the progress in its various tasks.

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