TNAG-1370-FCO40-1816-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-China-1985 — Page 100

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INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKING, UKMIS GENEVA, HONG KONG GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES WASHINGTON, NEW YORK, BRUSSELS, GENEVA.

RELATIONS WITH CHINA

1. TODAY'S SCMP CARRIES AS ITS FRONT PAGE LEAD A REPORT ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HIGH-LEVEL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE HONG KONG'S RELATIONS WITH CHINA. THE CHINA RELATIONS COMMITTEE, WHICH MET FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS MORNING, IS A REVIVED AND RESTRUCTURED VERSION OF AN EARLIER HK/CHINA ECONOMIC COMMITTEE. IT WAS GENERALLY RECOGNISED WITHIN GOVERNMENT THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO DRAW TOGETHER AT A SENIOR LEVEL THE VARIOUS THREADS OF HONG KONG'S DIVERSE AND RAPIDLY GROWING LINKS WITH CHINA AND ADD FURTHER IMPETUS TO DEPARTMENTS WORK IN THIS FIELD.

2. THE FOLLOWING PRESS STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED:

BEGINS

1

IN RESPONSE TO MEDIA QUESTIONS ON A REPORT IN THE SCMP TODAY ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN UMBRELLA COMMITTEE IN THE GOVERNMENT TO OVERSEE HONG KONG'S DEVELOPING RELATIONS WITH CHINA, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT FOR SOME YEARS A NUMBER OF WELL- ESTABLISHED GROUPS HAD BEEN WORKING WITHIN SEVERAL GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS TO DEVELOP COMMUNICATION LINKS AND TO TACKLE COMMON PROBLEMS WITH THE GUANGDONG AND SHENZHEN AUTHORITIES.

2. HE POINTED OUT THAT THERE HAD BEEN A TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELLING TO AND FROM CHINA, SO FAR THIS YEAR, SOME 11 MILLION HAVE ALREADY MADE THE JOURNEY. IMPROVED FACILITIES FOR FERRY AND LAND TRANSPORT ARE BEING DEVELOPED. THE DOUBLE TRACKING OF THE RAILWAY TO GUANGZHOU AND THE BUILDING OF LOK MA CHAU BRIDGE WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG'S OWN RAILWAY AND ROAD SYSTEMS, HE SAID. MEASURES HAVE ALSO BEEN TAKEN TO DEAL WITH THE COM.10N PROBLEM OF POLLUTION IN THE SHENZHEN RIVER.

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