TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 166

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKGO GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

SUMMARY

1. THERE WAS LITTLE REPORTING OF NEWS RELATING TO THE FUTURE OF THE TERRITORY DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW MOST REPORTS WERE ON THE PLANNED REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT.

AIRPORT PROJECT

2. THE GOVERNOR, SPEAKING ON RETURN FROM LONDON AFTER FIVE WEEKS OF LEAVE, SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS GOING AHEAD WITH THE NEW AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, THE MEDIA (9.2) REPORTED IN GOOD COVERAGE. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HE WOULD LIKE THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO UNDERSTAND WHY HK WAS DOING IT AND ITS IMPORTANCE FOR THE FUTURE OF HK. BUT HE SAID THAT THE DECISION ON THE PROJECT AND GOING AHEAD WERE HK DECISIONS AND THAT THEREFORE THEY DID NOT DEPEND ON WAITING FOR A FORMAL APPROVAL FROM ELSEWHERE. GUANGDONG HAD PLEDGED FULL SUPPORT FOR HK'S NEW AIRPORT WITH THE TERRITORY'S PROMISE THAT THE PROVINCE WOULD BENEFIT FROM SUPPLYING LABOUR AND MATERIALS, THE HK STANDARD (31.8) REPORTED. INFORMED SOURCES IN GUANGDONG SAID THAT 'FULL SUPPORT' WAS GIVEN ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO AFTER OFFICIALS OF THE PROVINCE'S PLANNING COMMISSION MET HKG OFFICIALS IN CHARGE OF THE PROJECT.

3. ZHOU NAN, SAID THAT THE CHINESE WOULD EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS ON THE LOCATION, FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND OTHER ASPECTS OF THE AIRPORT AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED STUDIES ON THE PROJECT, THE MEDIA (1.9) REPORTED. HE NOTED THAT THE OVERALL FINANCIAL REPORT ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT AS COMPILED BY THE HK GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT BE READY IN THREE MONTHS' TIME AND THAT AS A RESULT, CHINA WOULD MAKE KNOWN ITS VIEWS ON THE AIRPORT SEVERAL MONTHS LATER. KWAN CHIU, WRITING IN TA KUNG PAO (3.9), SAID THAT HKG MUST CONSULT THE CHINESE AND THE PEOPLE OF HK ON ALL MAJOR PROBLEMS AND PROJECTS TAHT WOULD GO BEYOND 1997. IT WOULD NOT BE GOOD TO HASTILY IMPLEMENT OR MAKE UNILATERAL DECISION ON MAJOR PROJECTS SUCH AS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW AIRPORT, THE WRITER SAID. WEN

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