TNAG-2253-FCO40-3237-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 31

3.

CONFIDENTIAL

The Chinese side also told the press the

previous evening that there was deadlock in the talks and

that the Hong Kong side had provided no new material.

4.

Luo told a press

conference later the same afternoon that it was not possible

to hold discussions and at the same time to call for

tenders.

He also said that before the establishment of the

SAR Government, the Chinese Government alone had the right

of representing the interests of the Hong Kong people. The

Chinese called a second press conference on the morning of

13 January at which Chen Zuo'er (of the State Council's

HKMAO) repeated what Luo had said the day before and added

that on all matters which were related to or straddled 1997,

the British Government had no power to take unilateral

decisions.

Redacted Under FOI Exemption Sec 27(1)

MAXAHM/2

CONFIDENTIAL