TNAG-2079-FCO40-2959-Hong-Kong-press-coverage-and-reports-1990 — Page 82

y

UNCLASSIFIED

025620

MDLIAN 5604

GOVERNMENT WOULD HIDE THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AIRPORT PROJECT FROM LEGCO MEMBERS. LEGCO MEMBER HUI YIN-FAT SAID THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT WAS SURE THAT IT WOULD NOT USE THE EXCHANGE FUND, IT SHOULD MAKE PUBLIC THIS POINT. HIS COLLEAGUE, ANDREW WONG, SAID THAT MR LU'S REMARKS INDICATED THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE WORKINGS OF THE HK BANKING SYSTEM. SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE SAID THAT IT WAS PROPER THAT THE FISCAL RESERVES WERE USED FOR FUNDING LARGE-SCALE INFRASTRUCTURAL PROJECTS AND THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE ACCUMULATED A SIZEABLE AMOUNT IN THE LAND FUND, WHICH WOULD BELONG TO THE FUTURE SAR GOVERNMENT AFTER 1997. ON THE POWERS OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, MR LEE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT ITS POWERS WOULD BE EXCESSIVE BECAUSE THE ORDINANCE PERTAINING TO ITS SET-UP WOULD BE SCRUTINISED BY LEGCO. LEGCO MEMBER AND MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY HO SAI-CHU SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PROVIDE MORE DATA FOR EVERYONE AND THAT IT SHOULD HOLD MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE. LEGCO MEMBER ROSANNA TAM SAID THAT IF THE GOVERNMENT HAD TO CONSULT THE CHINESE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS TO THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, THIS WOULD HAVE AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON HK.

NATIONALITY

16.

LU PING SAID THAT CIVIL SERVANTS WHO BENEFITED FROM THE

BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE WOULD NOT BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AFTER 1997 BUT THAT THEY HAD TO RELINQUISH THEIR FOREIGN NATIONALITY BEFORE THEY COULD CONTINUE TO SERVE IN TOP POSTS IN THE SAR GOVERNMENT, THE MEDIA (14 AND 15.12) REPORTED. HE SAID THAT THE PROMOTION OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN THE SAR GOVERNMENT WOULD BE BASED ON ABILITY, QUALIFICATION AND PERFORMANCE AND THAT CORRESPONDING MEASURES TAKEN BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE WERE NOT AIMED AT THE APPLICANTS THEMSELVES. MR LU ALSO SAID THAT THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO QUESTION FOR ORDINARY RESIDENTS ACQUIRING BRITISH CITIZENSHIP. MANY REPORTS QUOTED THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENIOR NON-EXPATRIATE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION, LAU SING, AS SAYING THAT MR LU'S REMARKS WOULD HAVE A STABILISING EFFECT ON CIVIL SERVANTS. SOME MEDIA REPORTS, HOWEVER, QUOTED LEGCO MEMBER JIMMY MCGREGOR AS NOTING THAT MR LU'S REMARKS COULD ONLY HAVE 'A DESTABILISING EFFECT'' ON HK AS THE REMARKS SHOWED CHINA WAS TRYING TO HAVE FULL CONTROL OVER THE TERRITORY. THE MEDIA (14.12 AND 15.12) QUOTED THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY'S HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, CHEN ZIYING, AS SAYING THAT CHINA'S STANCE ON THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE HAD REMAINED UNCHANGED.

17.

THE SUNDAY MORNING POST (16.12) REPORTED THAT DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION DONALD TSANG HAD URGED SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS

3

PAGE

UNCLASSIFIED