TNAG-2247-FCO40-3230-Business-interests-in-Hong-Kong-Cable-&-Wireless-1991 — Page 51

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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WOULD BE BIGGER THAN ASIASAT ONE WITH 48 TRANSPONDERS. IT WOULD HAVE A FOOTPRINT COVERING THE WHOLE OF CHINA AND COULD BE LAUNCHED AS EARLY AS 1993. LI ASKED WHO WOULD SUPPLY ASIASAT TWO. LORD YOUNG SAID IT WAS LIKELY TO BE HUGHES, AN AMERICAN COMPANY. LI PENG SAID THAT THE AMERICANS WERE STILL PLACING RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF CHINESE ROCKETS FOR LAUNCHING SATELLITES: THIS WAS A FORM OF PROTECTIONISM. IN 1993 CHINA PLANNED TO LAUNCH A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SATELLITE OF ITS OWN WITH 24 TRANSPONDERS. HE HOPED LORD YOUNG WOULD CONSIDER USING THIS. LORD YOUNG SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO SEE WHICH WAS THE MOST COMPETITIVE.

9. LORD YOUNG SAID HE HAD ALSO BEEN DISCUSSING ''VALUE ADDED SERVICES'' INCLUDING POSSIBLE JOINT VENTURES IN GUANGDONG AND SHANGHAI. THESE WOULD INCLUDE VARIOUS WAYS OF TRANSFERRING DATA BETWEEN COMMERCIAL COMPANIES, INCLUDING FAX. HE REFERRED TO THE INCREASING NUMBER OF TELEPHONE LINES AVAILABLE IN GUANGDONG AND TO THE FACT THAT EACH INCREASE BROUGHT HIGHER TRAFFIC BETWEEN GUANGDONG AND HONG KONG. IN THE CURRENT FIVE YEAR PLAN THE NUMBER OF LINES SHOULD INCREASE TO FIVE MILLION. LI PENG COMMENTED THAT THIS WAS ONE FOR EVERY TEN PEOPLE IN GUANGDONG WHICH WAS NOT MUCH BY WORLD STANDARDS. BUT THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY WAS TO INCREASE THE AVAILABILITY OF TELEPHONES SO THAT THEY COULD GRADUALLY BECOME AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS.

10. LORD YOUNG SHOWED LI PENG A MOBILE TELEPHONE WHICH HE SAID WAS NOW IN USE IN HONG KONG AND IN SEVEN CITIES IN CHINA INCLUDING PEKING. SUBSCRIBERS COULD USE IT TO CALL ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. IT WAS AN EXPENSIVE SERVICE BUT COSTS WOULD COME DOWN AS THE TECHNOLOGY IMPROVED. THE NEXT GENERATION WOULD BE HALF THE SIZE AND WEIGHT AND WOULD SELL IN THE UK FOR LESS THAN US DOLLARS 400.

11. LORD YOUNG REFERRED TO THE HONG KONG AIRPORT. HE WAS GLAD THAT THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN SOLVED. LI PENG SAID THAT MANY BUSINESSMEN IN HONG KONG WERE NOW TRYING TO WIN CONTRACTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE AIRPORT. SO LONG AS THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG WERE MAINTAINED THERE WAS NO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT CONFIDENCE. PROVIDED THEY COULD GET JOBS AND EARN GOOD MONEY, PROFESSIONALS WOULD CONTINUE TO GO TO HONG KONG. HE ADDED THAT THE FIRST RUNWAY OF THE SHENZHEN AIRPORT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT BETWEEN THE HONG KONG AND SHENZHEN PLANS: BOTH AIRPORTS WOULD BE NEEDED. LORD YOUNG THOUGHT THAT UNTIL THE NEW AIRPORT WAS COMPLETED IN HONG KONG THERE WOULD BE A NEED FOR

THE SHENZHEN AND MACAO AIRPORTS AS WELL AS KAI TAK. LI PENG SAID HE HAD HEARD THAT PROGRESS ON MACAO WAS NOT SMOOTH. IT HAD BEEN

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