TNAG-2248-FCO40-3231-Trade-investment-conferences-concerning-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 97

Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce: "If Hong Kong is

to have a new airport (I fully agree that Hong Kong needs

a new airport.), I can assure you that its management

will be exclusively in the hands of the Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region.' At this point, the house burst

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was

into laughter. I was aware that this laughter

permeated with expectations, because, at that time, the

negotiations on the new airport between China and Britain

was at a critical phase. Now when I pick up the topic of

here, I hope you will feel fully

the new

airport

relaxed. It is our consistent view that in order to

maintain Hong Kong's close ties with foreign states and

its status as an international aviation centre, Hong Kong

urgently needs a new airport. Since the construction

this

of

huge project will go beyond 1997, thus requiring

the future Government of the Hong Kong Special

Administrative Region to assume certain

responsibilities

and obligations, the Governments of China and Britain

held negotiations which lasted nine months and eventually

reached an agreement, thus paving the way for the early

construction of the new airport. It can be expected that

after 1997, Hong Kong will have a big,

brand-new and

modern international airport. As I said before, the

management of the airport will be

hands of the

Administrative

exclusively in the

Government of the Hong Kong Special

Region. Moreover, after 1997, Hong Kong

may, on its own, conclude air service agreements with

foreign states,

subject to prior authorization of the

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