TNAG-2253-FCO40-3237-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 55

CONFIDENTIAL

SI

120346 MDHOAN 5631

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 81

OF 151625Z JANUARY 91

НКВ 182 1:2

31

TOP COPY Q DIST?

а

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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YOUR TELNO 139: PADS: PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

1. IT WAS HELPFUL TO HAVE THE LIST IN TUR: IT IS IMPORTANT TO LOOK CLOSELY AT THE VARIOUS AIRPORT RELATED MILESTONES BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF YOUR VISIT.

THE CHINESE WILL NO DOUBT CHOOSE TO REGARD ANY PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED DECISIONS AS ''PROVOCATIONS'' IN PRESENT

2.

CIRCUMSTANCES. AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND WE THINK THAT WHERE IT IS PRACTICABLE TO DEFER AN ANNOUNCEMENT OR EVENT, THIS SHOULD BE DONE UNLESS IN YOUR JUDGEMENT THE RISKS INVOLVED IN POSTPONEMENT CLEARLY OUTWEIGH THE BENEFITS. IF YOU DO GO AHEAD, YOU SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER FOREWARNING THE CHINESE OF ANY SUCH ANNOUNCEMENT.

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ON THIS BASIS WE AGREE THAT A IN PARA 1 TUR SHOULD BE DEFERRED. ON B, WHILE WE APPRECIATE THAT THERE HAS BEEN SOME CRITICISM THAT A DECISION HAS NOT BEEN TAKEN EARLIER, WE HOPE THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE APPOINTMENT CAN BE DEFERRED UNTIL AFTER YOUR VISIT. IS THIS REALISTIC? WE HAVE ALSO HEARD THAT THE PAA IS DUE TO CONSIDER THE RUNWAY SEPARATION AT THIS MEETING. IF THIS IS CORRECT, WE WOULD SEE ADVANTAGE IN POSTPONEMENT OF A DECISION (IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST).

4.

IS C(I) NOT CAPABLE OF BEING DEFERRED? SINCE THE ALIGNMENT OF THE RUNWAYS (WHICH PRESUMABLY HAS IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SEABED AREAS REQUIRED) WAS ONE OF THE ISSUES RAISED BY THE CHINESE AT THE FIRST ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS, THE CHINESE MIGHT REGARD THE GAZETTING OF ADDITIONAL SEABED AREAS AS PROVOCATIVE IN PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES. ON C(II), ALTHOUGH ONLY A MINOR CONTRACT, THE CHINESE ARE LIKELY TO SEE THIS IN THE SAME WAY AS THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE LANTAU FIXED LINK, IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE VISIT OF THEIR EXPERT TEAM.

5. WE SEE SOME RISKS IN GOING AHEAD WITH D. IT IS NOT CLEAR FROM TUR WHETHER ACTION LIES IN YOUR COURT. HAVE THESE PAPERS ALREADY BEEN ISSUED? ARE THEY SOLELY PADS RELATED? IF YOU HAVE

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