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136404
MDLIAN 5114
8. A SENIOR CHINESE OFFICIAL IN HONG KONG TOLD THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL (5.7) THAT CHINA WAS NOT OPPOSED TO THE PLANNED CHEK LAP KOK AIRPORT PROJECT BUT WAS WORRIED THAT THE TRANSPORT NETWORK RELATING TO THE AIRPORT WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE AND THAT AS A RESULT THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BE COST-EFFECTIVE. LEGCO MEMBER LEUNG WAI-TUNG SAID THAT IF CHINA DID NOT SUPPORT THE PROJECT, HONG KONG'S ECONOMY WOULD BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED. SHE BELIEVED THAT THE DECISION OF INVESTORS WOULD DEPEND ON THE ATTITUDE OF CHINA. SHE HOPED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS PROJECT WITH CHINA. SES, SAID THAT THE AUTHORITIES CONCERNED HAD PASSED STUDY REPORTS ON THE NEW AIRPORT TO THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH, THE MEDIA (10.7) REPORTED. SHE HOPED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE WOULD SUPPORT THE PROJECT AFTER IT HAD STUDIED ALL THE INFORMATION.
CIVIL SERVICE
9. THE HONG KONG CHINA NEWS AGENCY, IN A BY-LINED ARTICLE, SAID THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO STEP UP COMMUNICATIONS AND MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE HONG KONG CIVIL SERVICE AND CHINESE OFFICIALS, SOME PAPERS (9.7) REPORTED IN ROUTINE COVERAGE. COMMENTING ON REPORTS THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WERE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE, THE ARTICLE SAID THAT THE PROBLEM SHOULD BE SOLVED AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. CIVIL SERVANTS WERE RESTRICTED BY REGULATIONS OF THEIR DEPARTMENTS AND DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE CHANNELS TO COMMUNICATE WITH CHINA. THESE RESTRICTIONS HAD BEEN RELAXED AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE JD AND THUS HAD IMPROVED UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA. HOWEVER, THE PRESENT LEVEL OF COMMUNICATIONS WAS INADEQUATE.
'WORKING GROUP ON HONG KONG LAWS'
10. LOCAL DELEGATE TO THE NPC LIU YIU-CHU CALLED FOR THE SETTING UP OF A WORKING PARTY TO VET HONG KONG LAWS TO ENSURE THEIR COMPATIBILITY WITH THE BASIC LAW, THE HONG KONG STANDARD (9.7) REPORTED. SHE SUGGESTED THAT THE GROUP BE SET UP UNDER THE NPC STANDING COMMITTEE. SHE PROPOSED THAT THE COMPOSITION AND NATURE OF THIS GROUP BE SIMILAR TO THAT OF THE BASIC LAW COMMITTEE. IT SHOULD MAKE UP OF 12 MEMBERS, WITH SIX EACH FROM THE MAINLAND AND HONG KONG. SHE ALSO PROPOSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ANOTHER BODY UNDER THE STANDING COMMITTEE OF THE NPC TO CO-ORDINATE STUDIES ON HONG KONG AFFAIRS. THE PROPOSED COMMITTEE SHOULD POOL ITS RESOURCES FROM THE STATE COUNCIL'S HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE AND CO-ORDINATE
RESEARCH ON HONG KONG ISSUES.
KE ZAISHUO
11. THE FORMER SENIOR CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE JLG, KE ZAISHUO, HAD ARRIVED IN HONG KONG AT THE INVITATION OF THE NCNA
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