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112706
MDHIAN 8289、
11 JAN (2ND DAY OF TALKS)
LUO JIAHUAN WAS QUOTED THAT MORNING AS HAVING SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE A 3 TO 6 MONTH PERIOD OF CONSULTATION TO CANVASS HONG KONG PEOPLE'S ATTITUDE: THAT CHINESE ENTERPRISES MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE AIRPORT: THAT PREFERENCE SHOULD BE GIVEN TO HONG KONG COMPANIES: THAT THERE SHOULD BE MORE PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION: BUT THAT THE PROJECT WOULD NOT ATTRACT PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION WITHOUT PEKING'S SUPPORT: THAT SUPPORT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT SO LONG AS THE BRITISH SIDE WAS SINCERE AND CO-OPERATIVE. WEN WEI PO QUOTED SOURCES SAYING THE BRITISH HAD PROVIDED NO NEW INFORMATION AND LACKED SINCERITY IN ADDRESSING PROBLEMS. THE CHINESE SIDE HAD LOST CONFIDENCE IN THE TALKS.
12 JAN (3RD DAY OF TALKS)
LUO JIAHUAN WAS QUOTED AS HAVING SAID ON 11 JAN THAT THE CHINESE TEAM HAD PUT FORWARD IMPORTANT, POSITIVE AND SOLEMN VIEWS ON WHICH THE BRITISH TEAM HAD TO CONSULT MORE SENIOR OFFICIALS. THE BRITISH SIDE HAD NOT PROVIDED ANY NEW INFORMATION. CHEN ZUO'ER WAS QUOTED SAYING HE WAS DISSATISFIED WITH THE TALKS.
JI PENGFEI QUOTED TELLING A HONG KONG CHINESE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION ON 11 JAN THAT THE BRITISH HKG HAD NOT BEEN SPEAKING THEIR MINDS AND HAD NOT GIVEN A COMPLETE PICTURE OF THE PROJECT. HOW THEREFORE COULD THEY EXPECT CHINESE SUPPORT ? ONE COULD NOT LURE CHINA BY THE SAME MEANS AS ONE WOULD LURE A SMALL CHILD. QUOTE IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CONTINUE DISCUSSIONS WHILE PROCEEDING WITH WORK UNQUOTE. (WEN WEI PAO)
13 JAN
LUO JIAHUAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE OF 12 JAN WIDELY REPORTED. HE SAID THAT BEFORE THE SETTING UP OF THE SARG IN 1997 THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ALONE HAD THE RIGHT TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A SMOOTH TRANSITION. THE HK AUTHORITY, WHICH WAS ONLY A COLONIAL GOVERNMENT, COULD NOT REPRESENT THE FUTURE SAR. HE ACCUSED THE HK SIDE OF NOT PROVIDING NEW INFORMATION AND OF INSINCERITY. IF THE BRITISH SIDE DID NOT CO-OPERATE WITH THE CHINESE, BRITAIN WOULD LEAVE A DISHONOURABLE CHAPTER IN HISTORY DURING THE LAST DAYS OF ITS ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE HKG WAS INSINCERE IN GOING AHEAD WITH TENDERS WHILE DISCUSSIONS WERE STILL UNDERWAY. HE QUESTIONED THE LARGE COST OF THE AIRPORT COMPARED TO THAT OF SHENZHEN AND SAID HK PEOPLE SHOULD BE CONSULTED AND TRANSPARENCY ON THE
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