CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted under FOI exemption section 27 (1)|
077465 MDHIAN 5253,
PINCH, WE COULD APPOINT TWO PEOPLE WITH CHINA CONNECTIONS OR HAVE TWO VICE CHAIRMEN, ONE OF WHOM COULD BE CHINA CONNECTED. WE COULD TELL THE CHINESE IN ADVANCE WHOM I INTENDED TO APPOINT AS MEMBERS OF THE AUTHORITY.
(III) ADVISORY COMMITTEE. WE COULD SET UP AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE WITH A WIDE MEMBERSHIP OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. WE COULD SOUND OUT THE CHINESE IN ADVANCE ON MEMBERSHIP FOR SOME OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR POINT OF VIEW (MUCH AS THIS GOES AGAINST THE GRAIN SINCE SUCH PEOPLE INCLUDE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THEIR UTMOST, BY FAIR MEANS OR FOUL, TO DESTROY THE AIRPORT PROJECT). WE MIGHT WISH TO NARROW THE TERMS OF REFERENCE SUFFICIENTLY TO AVOID GOING BACK TO DISCUSSING THE SITE OF THE NEW AIRPORT.
3. I DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WOULD PRODUCE A PACKAGE WHICH IS ACCEPTABLE FROM THE CHINESE POINT OF VIEW. WHAT I HAVE OUTLINED ABOVE WOULD ATTRACT A GOOD DEAL OF CRITICISM IN HONG KONG CAND DOUBTLESS FROM SOME IN THE UK) FOR BOWING TO CHINESE PRESSURE AND ACCEPTING CHINESE INTERFERENCE IN HONG KONG BEFORE 1997, WITH THE IMPLICATION THAT AUTONOMY POST-1997 IS ALSO IN JEOPARDY. BUT I BELIEVE IT IS WORTH TRYING.
4. IF A PACKAGE ON THESE LINES DOES NOT WORK, WE MAY FACE THE UNATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVES OF EITHER ACCEPTING SOMETHING
5. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE UNDER VERY REAL TIME PRESSURE, PARTICULARLY OF COURSE IF THERE IS TO BE ANY QUESTION OF COMPLETING A MAJOR PART OF THE PROJECT BEFORE 1997. THE NEXT MAJOR STAGE IN THE AIRPORT PLAN IS CALLING FOR TENDERS FOR THE LANTAU FIXED CROSSING. THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DEFERRED TO LATE MARCH. ALTHOUGH WE COULD SLIP ANOTHER WEEK OR TWO, EVERY WEEK LOST IS A WEEK ADDED TO THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION TIME FOR THE BRIDGE. BUT THERE WOULD BE NO FINAL COMMITMENT TO THE BRIDGE UNTIL TENDERS HAVE COME IN AND BEEN AWARDED. THIS WOULD NOT BE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY JANUARY 1992. ON AN OPTIMISTIC SCENARIO, IT
PAGE 2 CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.