CONFIDENTIAL
169
135677
MDHIAN 3955
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3023
OF 13054OZ OCTOBER 90
HKC 182
12
OCT
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
TOP COPY Q DIST?
MIPT: LINE TO TAKE ON CHINESE CRITICISMS ON PADS
1. WE ARE TAKING THE FOLLOWING LINE IN RESPONSE TO QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CHINESE CRITICISMS REPORTED IN MIPT :
FIRST RESPONSE
''WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE EXPERTS
NEXT WEEK. WE WILL EXPLAIN TO THEM IN DETAIL OUR PLANS AND TAKE
THEM THROUGH OUR THINKING STEP BY STEP. WE HOPE THE CHINESE EXPERTS WILL APPROACH THESE DISCUSSIONS WITH AN OPEN MIND, AND AT THE END OF THEM HAVE A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF OUR PLANS AND OF THE NEED TO GO AHEAD NOW WITH BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG.''
IF PRESS :
''NOTHING SUDDEN ABOUT OUR DECISION. WE HAVE BEEN STUDYING THE
SUBJECT FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS AND ANNOUNCED OUR INTENTION
PROCEED A YEAR AGO.
WE HAVE MADE NO SECRET OF THE NEED TO MAKE AN EARLY START. KAI TAK AIRPORT IS ALREADY CROWDED AND WILL BE SATURATED BY 1994.
THERE IS A REAL NEED TO MAINTAIN THE MOMENTUM OF BUILDING A
REPLACEMENT AIRPORT IF HONG KONG IS NOT TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING OBSOLETE FACILITIES.'
2.
IF I AM ASKED ABOUT THIS AT THE AIRPORT WHEN I LEAVE TONIGHT, AS IS LIKELY, I WILL SPEAK ON THE LINES ABOVE.
3. IN BACKGROUND, WE ARE ALSO MAKING TWO STANDARD POINTS :
(I) PLANS WELL-KNOWN: ANY POSTPONEMENT WOULD HAVE SENT ENTIRELY
THE WRONG SIGNAL TO THE MARKET AND WOULD HAVE CREATED SERIOUSLY DAMAGING HEADLINES: AND
(II) CHINESE THEMSELVES HAVE SAID DISCUSSIONS WOULD TAKE SEVERAL MONTHS: CANNOT AFFORD THIS SORT OF DELAY.
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