TNAG-1662-FCO40-2310-Hong-Kong-Western-Harbour-Lantau-Strategic-Development-proje-1987 — Page 101

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DATE:

Hong Kong Dept

21 January 1987

HKK

175/3

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Mr C Benjamin,

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26 JAN 1987

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REGISTRY

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PEP Div, DTI

Mr Gillmore

Mr Sullivan, FED

Mr Layden

WESTERN HARBOUR LANTAU STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT

1. As you know, I attended a presentation on this project at the offices of Costain on 19 January. It was given by Mr Gordon Wu, the Managing Director of Hopewell Holdings.

The Project

2. Mr Wu described the project along the lines in the papers already held by the Department.

He said that the starting point had

been access to Hong Kong from his "super-highway" connecting Hong Kong and Canton. It had occurred to him that he could kill a number

of birds with one stone:

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

relieve road congestion on entry into Kowloon ;

provide extra warfage. The tonnage handled by Hong Kong was going up rapidly and continued usage of lighters would become increasingly uneconomic; and

link into the shelved plans of the Hong Kong Government for a second airport. The volume of air freight handled at Kai Tak was increasing. Hong Kong needed a two runway airport, as its trading competitors (Singapore, Seoul and Taipei) already had.

In the longer term Mr Wu envisaged that the "super-highway" might be extended North of Canton until it linked up with the tributaries of the Yangtse. This could relieve congestion affecting freight traffic along the Yangtse and divert a still larger proportion of China's external trade through Hong Kong.

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