CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3457
OF 22110OZ NOVEMBER 90
CONFIDENTIAL
HKC 182 12
70
INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
(250)
OUR TELNO 3386: PADS: THE WAY FORWARD
300
120547
MDLIAN 9021
TOP COPY
Ра
Q DIST? Pa
1. IN TUR WE STATED THAT THE IMPORTANT POINT ABOUT THE CHINESE EXPRESSION OF REGRET OVER THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF PRE-TENDERING FOR THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING WOULD BE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY MADE IT PUBLIC.
2. THEY HAVE IN FACT BEEN RELATIVELY RESTRAINED. AN EDITORIAL APPEARED IN WEN WEI BAO ON 17 NOVEMBER. THIS REFERRED TO THE VARIOUS ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE IN THE GOVERNMENT GAZETTE ON 16 NOVEMBER. THESE SHOWED, THE EDITORIAL ARGUED, THAT THE HKG HAD DECIDED TO PRESS AHEAD WITH ITS ORIGINAL PLAN AND DID NOT LISTEN TO THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. THIS COULD CAST A SHADOW OVER THE NEXT ROUND OF DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE SIDE. THE HKG SHOULD NOT GO AHEAD WITHOUT SUFFICIENT CONSULTATION WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE. IT CONCLUDED THAT ONLY AFTER FULL CONSULTATION COULD THE GOVERNMENT OBTAIN THE PEOPLE'S ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN QUOTE AND THUS ONLY THEN ALSO OBTAIN THE STRONG SUPPORT OF THE CHINESE SIDE UNQUOTE.
3. SEPARATELY, A MEMBER OF THE PADS EXPERT TEAM WHO IS CURRENTLY HEAD OF NCNA'S RESEARCH DEPARTMENT, ZUO MU, STATED THAT THE PRE- QUALIFICATION EXERCISE FOR THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING WAS QUOTE VERY INAPPROPRIATE UNQUOTE. THIS REMARK APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN MADE IN RESPONSE TO JOURNALISTS' QUESTIONS AND WAS NOT WIDELY REPORTED.
4. THE WEN WEI BAO EDITORIAL WAS INTERESTING IN THAT IT PLACED ITS MAIN EMPHASIS ON CONSULTATION WITH HONG KONG PEOPLE RATHER THAN WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, AND MADE CHINESE SUPPORT CONDITIONAL ONLY ON OBTAINING THEIR APPROVAL. WHILE OF COURSE THIS LEAVES CHINESE OPTIONS OPEN, IT IS A RELATIVELY MUTED RESPONSE TO OUR RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS. THE WEN WEI BAO EDITORIAL HAS NOT BEEN PICKED UP BY OTHER PAPERS. NOR HAVE WEN WEI BAO OR DA GONG BAO FOLLOWED UP WITH FURTHER REPORTS ON THESE LINES.
1
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.