TNAG-2049-FCO40-2919-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 49

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UNITIOIT

VORBEIJOTUN

852 845 2612

AN

CHEUNG MAN-YI, MING PAO: YES, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT BUILDING RPORT IS A HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DECISION, AND NOW THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INVITE BEIJING PEOPLE TO COME TO HONG KONG AND DISCUSS THE PROJECT. IS IT THE WAY, TO INVITE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT TO INTERVENE IN HONG KONG'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS?

LORD CAITHNESS: NO,

IT ISN'T INTERFERRING IN THE INTERNAL AFFAIRS.

IT IS QUITE RIGHT THAT WHERE THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE ON A LIABILITY, THROUGH THE AIRPORT, A PROJECT THAT CONTINUES INTO THE NEXT CENTURY, IT IS RIGHT THAT ONE SHOULD ADVISE THEM EXACTLY WHAT THE PROJECT INVOLVES.

SIMON MACKLIN: IT WOULD BE A LIABILITY THEN?

FROM THE

LORD CAITHNESS: BY THE LIABILITY I MEAN THAT BRIEFING THAT I GOT, IT IS ONLY THE FIRST RUNWAY THAT WILL HAVE BEEN COMPLETED BY 1997, SO THERE IS AN ON-GOING AMOUNT OF WORK TO BE DONE.

FANNY WONG: SO IN THAT CASE, CHINA'S APPROVAL LEGITIMATE FOR CHINA TO HAVE A SAY ON THE PROJECT.

WELL, IT'S

LORD CAITHNESS: NO, IT IS RIGHT THAT CHINA SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THE PROJECT, THE DETAILS OF THE PROJECT, AND WHY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE DECIDED TO POSITION IT AND TO MAKE IT IN SUCH A FASHION.

FANNY WONG: BUT AS YOU DESCRIBE, IT COULD BECOME A LIABILITY FOR THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND IT'S ONLY LEGITIMATE THAT THEY CAN HAVE A SAY ON IT.

LORD CAITHNESS: THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME HONG KONG GOVERNMENT FINANCE IN IT THAT IS APPROPRIATE TO CHINA.

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FANNY WONG: AS I SAID, I WOULD LIKE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL QUESTION.

IF,

AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE CAN'T WIN THE SUPPORT OF CHINA, IS IT LIKELY OR POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN, SAY, RE-SCHEDULE THE PROJECT OR DEFER IT BY A YEAR OR SO.

LORD CAITHNESS: THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE A DECISION ABOUT THE AIRPORT. THAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED, THE GOVERNOR ANNOUNCED THAT,

I THINK LAST YEAR, AND NOW WE'RE GIVING FURTHER DETAILS TO CHINA WHICH THEY'VE REQUESTED.

FANNY WONG: SO THAT'S FINAL? THE DECISION IS FINAL?

LORD CAITHNESS: THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAVE MADE THAT

DECISION.

WONG SAU-YING, AP: YOU HAVE TALKED WITH THE DISCIPLINARY FORCES THIS MORNING, AND YOU ALSO SAID THEY HAD PUT ACROSS THEIR CASE PRETTY FORCIBLY. ARE YOU WORRIED OR ARE YOU CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DON'T GET WHAT THEY WANT TO GET, HONG KONG WOULD BECOME A LAWLESS PLACE? OR WOULD IT BECOME MORE DIFFICULT UNGOVERNABLE IN THE RUN- UP TO 1997?

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