CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3733
OF 150405Z DECEMBER 90
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
CONFIDENTIAL
la
TOP COPY Q
HKC 182 / 2 DIST?
10 190
335
020556
MDLIAN 5103
PADS: ZHOU NAN ON THE NEW AIRPORT
1. LORD YOUNG HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK ON CABLE AND WIRELESS BUSINESS AND HAS BEEN STAYING AT GOVERNMENT HOUSE. YESTERDAY (14 DECEMBER), HE HAD A MEETING WITH ZHOU NAN, DURING WHICH ZHOU RAISED THE SUBJECT OF THE NEW AIRPORT.
2. ACCORDING TO LORD YOUNG, ZHOU DELIVERED A FAIRLY STANDARD CHINESE LINE ON THE DIFFICULTIES THAT THE 'BRITISH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT' HAD CAUSED BY TAKING UNILATERAL DECISIONS ON THE NEW AIRPORT. HE SPECIFICALLY REFERRED TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING ON 5 OCTOBER, AND GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THE REMARKS THAT LU PING HAD BEEN MAKING THIS WEEK WERE A FORM OF RETALIATION FOR UNILATERAL ACTION BY THE HKG. INTERESTINGLY, ZHOU MADE A PLEA THAT WE SHOULD CONSIDER HIS OWN POSITION WHEN WE MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS LIKE THIS. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE CHINESE WOULD NOT OPPOSE THE NEW AIRPORT AND DID NOT WANT TO INTERFERE IN DECISIONS MADE IN HONG KONG UP TO 1997. ZHOU ASKED LORD YOUNG TO RAISE THIS MATTER WITH MINISTERS IN LONDON.
3. I TOLD LORD YOUNG THE REASONS FOR OUR ANNOUNCEMENT ON 5 OCTOBER. HE SAID THAT HE FULLY UNDERSTOOD WHY, GIVEN THE CHOICES, WE ACTED AS WE HAD. HE SUGGESTED THAT WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT ZHOU NAN AND THE OTHERS SUCH AS LI PENG FULLY UNDERSTOOD THE FINANCIAL ASPECTS OF OUR PROPOSALS. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WOULD OF COURSE DO SO. I SAW ZHOU NAN INFORMALLY FROM TIME TO TIME FACT DOING SO NEXT WEEK) AND HOPED TO SEE LI PENG IN JANUARY.
WILSON
(AND IN
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CONFIDENTIAL
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