TNAG-1174-FCO40-1476-Proposed-replacement-airport-for-Hong-Kong-at-Deep-Bay-or-Ch-1982 — Page 163

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH

RJT McLaren Esq CMG Political Adviser Government Secretariat HONG KONG

MKK 182|!

201

Telephone 01- 233-3134

No

Your reference

Our reference

19.E

13/3 PG03/3

CR 32/581/73

Date

15 January 1982

Dean Robin,

CHEK LAP KOK REPLACEMENT AIRPORT

1.

нки

HKI 182/1

22

1981

BUGH weeks

199

ار ماها

It is some time since we heard anything about the new airport apart from the draft reply to Sir Anthony Royle's PQ in Hong Kong Telegram No 1084. There are two aspects that particularly interest us: the possible Deep Bay site and finance for the project.

nited Pap

رامه

See +kk 306/1 HAH306/1

2.

On the former, it would be helpful to know how the study is developing and a map showing the actual size under consideration would be useful.

3.

1982.

See 13

HICK 18211

As far as finance is concerned, has any further thought been given to approaching the Chinese for participation in the loan financing of the project? I realise that we have not yet really got off the ground with the technical talks with the CAAC, but we have previously agreed that we would at some stage need to give the Chinese an opportunity to take part in the project. As I said in my letter of 30 September 1980 to the Governor, we will obviously have to consider timing very carefully but I would be grateful for some idea of present thinking. We appreciate the point the Governor made in his letter of 11 September 1980 that this matter of the new airport is bound up with the bigger issue of the future of Hong Kong. Clearly the most satisfactory outcome would be to get a clear picture of Chinese ideas on the future before moving on the airport. (LA) 198 However the timing may not work out that way. It might therefore be useful to consider whether some form of Chinese participation in a new airport in the New Territories would in itself help to keep confidence going. It would also be worth seeing whether the airport project might be mentioned to the Chinese by the Prime Minister, at least as an example of the sort of major project which makes an understanding on the land lease question very desirable.

Hier 182/1

сс

Уми

M W Atkinson Esq MBE PEKING

Disk

R D Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

1980

CONFIDENTIAL