TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 117

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WOULD REQUIRE MORE TIME TO STUDY THE INFORMATION. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE EXPERT TEAM FELT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT PROVIDED THEM WITH SUFFICIENT DATA. MR LUO WAS QUOTED (26.10) AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE HAD ALWAYS SUPPORTED WHAT WAS IN THE INTEREST OF HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY BUT THAT THEY DID NOT WANT

ANY POLICY THAT WOULD SADDLE THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT WITH A FINANCIAL BURDEN. HE URGED THE BRITISH-HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER THE VARIOUS VIEWS AND POSITIVE PROPOSALS AND NOT TO MAKE ANY HASTY DECISIONS. MR LUO DENIED REPORTS THAT THEY

HAD ALREADY EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE BUILDING SITE AT CHEK LAP

KOK.

10. THE SENIOR BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION, PETER HEAP, SAID THAT BRITISH FIRMS WOULD PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE IN BIDDING FOR VARIOUS CONTRACTS, BUT ADDED THAT THERE WOULD BE A NEGATIVE EFFECT IF CHINA OPPOSED THE PROJECT.

11. CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID THAT THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE PADS HAD BEEN USEFUL, CANDID AND CONSTRUCTIVE. HE SAID HIS IMPRESSION DURING THE TALKS WAS THAT THE CHINESE SIDE CONSIDERED THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A NEW AIRPORT IN HONG KONG AND THAT THE CHINESE WERE INTERESTED IN THE FINANCIAL POSITION THAT THE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD INHERIT IN 1997. THE SECRETARY FOR MONETARY AFFAIRS, DAVID NENDICK, DENIED REPORTS THAT THE EXCHANGE FUND WOULD BE USED TO DIRECTLY SUBSIDISE THE PORT AND AIRPORT PROJECTS AND MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE USE OF THE FUND WOULD BE DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY RELATED TO HONG KONG'S ECONOMY.

12. A MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY, HO SAI-CHU, TOLD NEWSMEN THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER COMPROMISING WITH CHINA BY DELAYING THE CONSTRUCTION OF ONE OF THE RUNWAYS FOR THE CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT IN THE INITIAL STAGES SO AS TO REDUCE THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS BY 10 BILLION DOLLARS.

13. DIRECTOR OF THE HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, JI PENGFEI, SAID THAT CHINA WOULD SUPPORT ANYTHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY. HOWEVER, THE CHINESE WERE STILL NOT CLEAR ABOUT THE SCALE AND FUNDING OF THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT AND COULD NOT INDICATE THEIR STAND. A DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE, LI HOU, WAS ALSO REPORTED (30.10) TO HAVE MADE SIMILAR REMARKS.

NATIONALITY

14. THE MEDIA REPORTED THE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON THE

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