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TELELETTER
FROM R D CLIFT, HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT
FILE REFERENCE HKK 182/1 DATED 10 MARCH 1982
FOLLOWING FOR: RJT MCLAREN, POLITICAL ADVISER, GOVERNMENT
SECRETARIAT, HONG KONG
M W ATKINSON, PEKING
HONG KONG: REPLACEMENT AIRPORT STUDIES
1. WE HAVE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED YOUR TELELETTER OF 20 FEBRUARY,
CONSULTING MAED AND DOT.
- QAND
2. WE FULLY ENDORSE ATKINSON'S TELELETTER OF 25 FEBRURARY AND
ALL HERE ARE AGREED THAT IT WOULD BE WRONG TO PROCEED WITH THE
DEEP BAY OPTION. IN THE DOT'S VIEW IT WOULD BE WRONG TO CHOOSE
A SITE WHICH IS CONTINUOUSLY DEPENDENT ON CHINESE GOODWILL FOR
ITS SUCCESSFUL OPERATION. 'ANY SUCH DEVELOPMENT, WOULD PUT
CAAC IN A POSITION OF IMMENSE ADVANTAGE NOT ONLY IN RELATION TO
CATHAY PACIFIC BUT ALSO IN RELATION TO THE WHOLE OF BA'S AND
CPA'S INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS RADIATING FROM HONG KONG, WHICH
COULD EFFECTIVELY BE HELD TO RANSOM IF THE CHINESE WERE IN A
POSITION TO MAKE SEVERE DIFFICULTIES ABOUT OVERFLIGHTS OF THEIR
AIR SPACE'.
3. ADDED TO THIS POINT IS THE PROBABILITY THAT LACK OF AN
EFFECTIVE GUARANTEE OF UNIMPEDED DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION OF A DEEP
BAY AIRPORT MIGHT MAKE IT NECESSARY TO KEEP KAI TAK IN MOTHBALLS
AS AN EMERGENCY AIRPORT, THUS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SELL OFF
THE PRESENT AIRPORT SITE IN KOWLOON.
4. FINALLY WE ARE PARTICULARLY IMPRESSED BY YOUR PARAGRAPH 10F
AND PEKING'S ENDORSEMENT OF IT. WE CANNOT RUN THE RISK TO OUR
RELATIONS OF LETTING THE DEEP BAY OPTION GAIN TOO MUCH CURRENCY
IN PEKING AND SUBSEQUENTLY BEING DROPPED.
5.
OUR VIEW IS THUS THAT PLANS FOR DEEP BAY SHOULD BE DISCARDED
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND EFFORTS CONCENTRATED ON CHEP LAP KOK.
See/26/
SIGNED R D CLIFT
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CONFIDENTIAL
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