CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 18212
150
112363
MDLIAN 6438
TOP COPY Q DIST?
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 2956
OF 06050OZ OCTOBER 90
Ж
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG, HKGO LONDON
INFO PRIORITY HKGO BRUSSELS, HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO TOKYO INFO PRIORITY HKGO NEW YORK
INFO SAVING HKGO SAN FRANCISCO
LANTAU FIXED CROSSING
SUMMARY
1. A CAUTIOUS BUT GENERALLY FAVOURABLE REACTION TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON 5 OCTOBER OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO CALL FOR TENDERS ON A DESIGN-AND-CONSTRUCT BASIS.
DETAIL
2. MOST PAPERS CARRY LENGTHY EXTRACTS FROM THE STATEMENT MADE BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY AT A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. THE FULL
TEXT IS IN MIFT.
3. GOOD COVERAGE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO THE POSITIVE POINTS MADE BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF AN EARLIER START TO CONSTRUCTION, PROBABLE LONG TERM SAVINGS, A MINIMISATION OF THE RISK PERCEIVED BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THEREFORE OF COSTS TO THE PUBLIC, GOVERNMENT'S FIRM COMMITMENT TO THE PROJECT, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF PRIVATISING ITS OPERATION AT A LATER DATE.
4. INEVITABLY SOME PAPERS, ESPECIALLY THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ONES, HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE POINT THAT THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA CALL ON
PUBLIC FUNDS OR ON OUR RESERVES. THE CHINESE PRESS HAVE ALSO NOTED THAT HONG KONG IS GOING AHEAD DESPITE THE FAILURE OF THE CHINESE TO GIVE CLEAR BACKING TO THE PROJECT. MOST SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT DECISION AND ALSO EXPRESS THE HOPE THAT THE CHINESE WILL NOT RESPOND ADVERSELY.
4. THE CHIEF SECRETARY BRIEFED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BEFORE HOLDING HIS PRESS CONFERENCE. MEMBERS WERE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THE DECISION. ALLEN LEE RECEIVED WIDE MEDIA COVERAGE FOR HIS VERY POSITIVE REMARKS ON THE PROJECT. FEW OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL HAVE YET BEEN QUOTED PUBLICLY. SZETO WAH SAID THAT THE DECISION SHOWED GOVERNMENT'S DETERMINATION TO PROCEED
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CONFIDENTIAL
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