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117 07
MDLIAN 758.
5. SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THE DECISION HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH POLITICS, ADDING THAT IT WAS BASED ON THE OVERALL INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. LEGCO MEMBER MARTIN LEE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S DECISION SHOWED THAT PRIVATE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN THE PROJECT. ANOTHER LEGCO MEMBER, SZETO WAH, SAID THIS SHOWED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DETERMINED TO BUILD THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT AND THAT IT WOULD BOOST FOREIGN CONSORTIA'S FAITH IN THE PROJECT. THE CONVENOR OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP TO STUDY THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT, STEPHEN CHEONG, WAS CAUTIOUS AND HOPED THAT LEGCO MEMBERS WOULD BE CAREFUL WHEN APPROVING FUNDS FOR THE PROJECT.
6. THOMAS CHAN OF THE HONG KONG BAPTIST COLLEGE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A POLITICAL MOVE AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS TRYING TO FORCE THE CHINESE TO ACCEPT ITS PROPOSALS. VICTOR SIT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG STRONGLY CRITICISED THE GOVERNMENT FOR MAKING A DECISION TO CONSULT THE PUBLIC AND SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S REJECTION OF A ''BUILD-OPERATE-TRANSFER'' OPTION SHOWED THAT PROFIT RETURNS FROM SUCH AN OPTION WOULD BE UNATTRACTIVE AND NOT FEASIBLE.
7. THIS ISSUE DREW OVER 14 EDITORIALS FROM 12 PAPERS (6-8.10). MANY PAPERS WERE SUPPORTIVE OF THE MOVE, SAYING THAT IT WOULD BENEFIT HONG KONG IN THE LONG RUN. SOME PAPERS DESCRIBED THIS AS THE GOVERNMENT PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE PEKING GOVERNMENT TO SPEED UP THE AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION.
NATIONALITY
8. MING PAO REPORTED THAT A STUDY BY A BRITISH RESEARCH CENTRE HAD FOUND THAT THE 50,000 HONG KONG FAMILIES WHO WERE BENEFICIARIES UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD BE AN ASSET TO BRITAIN AS THEY COULD HELP EASE THE MANPOWER SHORTAGE IN 2000 AND PUSH UP THE PROPERTY PRICES IN THE COUNTRY.
9. THE MEDIA REPORTED WIDELY THAT THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES HAD PASSED BY 231 TO 192 VOTE AN IMMIGRATION REFORM BILL WHICH INCLUDED A VISA SCHEME FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE. THE MEDIA PLAYED UP THE POINT THAT UNDER THE BILL, HONG KONG'S ANNUAL IMMIGRATION QUOTA WOULD BE INCREASED FROM THE PRESENT 5,000 TO 20,000. A FURTHER 15,000 IMMIGRANT VISAS WOULD BE RESERVED IN THE YEARS LEADING UP TO 1997 FOR KEY HONG KONG EMPLOYEES OF AMERICAN FIRMS IN THE TERRITORY. TO SLOW HONG KONG'S BRAIN DRAIN, THE BILL
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