TNAG-2253-FCO40-3237-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 24

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FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELNO 163

OF 16102OZ JANUARY 91

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

PADS: COMMENT IN THE COMMUNIST PRESS

TODAY'S WEN WEI PO AND TU KUNG PAO CARRY A TOTAL OF FIVE ARTICLES COMMENTING ON ASPECTS OF THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT.

1.

2.

TWO OF THE THREE ARTICLES IN WEN WEI PO FOLLOW THE THEME THAT CHINA IS LOOKING AFTER THE INTERESTS OF THE FUTURE SAR IN SEEKING TO NEGOTIATE ON THE AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD INSISTED ON THEIR RIGHT TO DECIDE ON THE AIRPORT AND HAD NO INTENTION OF NEGOTIATING. THE BRITISH WERE CLAIMING THIS RIGHT AS THEY HAD TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG BEFORE 1997. IN THAT CASE WORK ON, AND DEBTS CAUSED BY, THE NEW AIRPORT SHOULD NOT EXTEND BEYOND 1997 AND THE PROJECT SHOULD BE SCALED DOWN SO THAT IT WAS WITHIN HONG KONG'S FINANCIAL CAPABILITY. IF THERE WEE NOT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IN THE BRITISH APPROACH, THEN IT WAS HARD TO BE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS.

3. THE THIRD WEN WEI PO ARTICLE SAYS LITTLE NEW, ARGUING THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT'S WORST FAULTS HAD BEEN TO ANNOUNCE THE DECISION TO BUILD THE TSING-MA BRIDGE JUST BEFORE THE FIRST ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS AND, SENDING SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS OVERSEAS ON PROMOTIONAL TRIPS, TO PRESENT THE NEW AIRPORT AS A FAIT

ACCOMPLI.

4. THE FIRST OF TA KUNG PAO'S TWO ARTICLES SAYS THAT THE FAILURE TO MAKE PROGRESS AT THE SECOND ROUND OF TALKS WAS REGRETTABLE. BUT THE CHINESE SIDE WERE NOT BE BLAME, AS THEY HAD BEEN SINCERE AND HAD HOPED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM THROUGH MUTUAL CO-OPERATION. IF THE BRITISH HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WAS REALLY ACTING IN THE INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG AND HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, THEN THEY SHOULD DEVELOP FRIENDLY CO-OPERATION BETWEEN HONG KONG AND CHINA FOR THE SALE OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION AND HONG KONG'S LONG TERM DEVELOPMENT.

5. THE SECOND TA KUNG PAO ARTICLE SAYS THAT LUO JIAHUAN HAD RIGHTLY POINTED OUT THE UNIVERSALLY UNDERSTOOD QUOTE

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