TNAG-2256-FCO40-3240-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 102

RESTRICTED

151425

MDLIAN 3125

4. VASCONCELOS SAID THAT BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF MIAC, WHICH INCLUDED MAINLAND CHINESE SHAREHOLDERS, MACAU DID NOT NEED TO INFORM THE NCNA OF DECISIONS OR PLANS. THEY ALREADY KNEW, AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT REACTIONS WERE REFLECTED IN THEIR

SHAREHOLDERS' COMMENTS. THIS WAS IN THEORY AN ATTRACTIVE ARRANGEMENT, BUT IT HAD NOT AVOIDED THE PROBLEMS OF SAND AND NOISE POLLUTION. THE SAND PROBLEM WAS THAT ZHUHAI WANTED ALL THE

REVENUE AND GUANGDONG PROVINCE AND PEKING WANTED SOME SHARE OF IT, PROBABLY THROUGH TAXATION. HE SAID HE BELIEVED THAT SINCE

MID-1989 PEKING NO LONGER HAD EFFECTIVE CONTROL OVER THIS KIND OF

GO-SLOW FROM A SOUTHERN SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE. ON NOISE POLLUTION

THE CHINESE HAD PROMISED A REPLY IN JANUARY ON THE CASE MADE BY MACAU. IF CHINA ACCEPTED THEIR STATISTICS, THE AIRPORT SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO AHEAD. UNTIL THEN NO CONTRACTS COULD BE SIGNED AND NO WORK ON RUNWAY RECLAMATION OR PILING COULD TAKE PLACE.

5. STANLEY HO SAID THAT A GUANGDONG PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT

OFFICIAL HAD OFFERED TO SOLVE THE AIRPORT PROBLEMS FOR A SIX FIGURE SUM, BUT THAT HE COULD NOT SEE TO WHOM THE MONEY WOULD GO AND DISMISSED IT FROM CONSIDERATION. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE TOLD THE

NCNA IN MACAU THAT CHINA WAS IN DANGER OF OVERPLAYING ITS HAND.

IF THEY DELAYED TOO LONG THEIR DECISION THE MIAC COULD SIMPLY ANNOUNCE THE PROJECT WAS TOO FAR BEHIND, TOO EXPENSIVE AND DROP IT, LEAVING THE SHAREHOLDERS FINANCIALLY EMBARRASSED (INCLUDING THE MAINLAND HOLDING). THE CITIZENS OF MACAU WOULD DRAW THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS. HIS OWN BELIEF HOWEVER WAS THAT THE PROJECT WOULD GO

AHEAD.

COMMERCIAL

6. FERREIRA SAID THE CONTRACTS FOR RUNWAY RECLAMATION AND PILING HAD BEEN READY SINCE AUGUST 1990. SAND DELIVERIES, BACK AT 6- 8,000 CUBIC METRES A DAY IN MID-DECEMBER, WERE NOW DOWN TO 3,000 CUBIC METRES A DAY. IT DELAYED PROGRESS ON THE FILLING IN BETWEEN DYKE AND TERMINAL BUILDING. HE WAS PLEASED THAT BASL HAD THE FINAL DESIGN CONTRACT. LATER ON, IF ALL WENT WELL, A PACKAGE (BOTH FINANCIAL AND EQUIPMENT) APPROACH TO AIRPORT EQUIPMENT NEEDS WOULD BE INTERESTING, BUT THIS WAS NOT THE TIME.

7. BASL ECHOED FERREIRA'S COMMENTS ON SAND, NOTING THAT A FURTHER 8 MILLION TONS IN ALL WERE NEEDED FOR TERMINAL AND RUNWAY, THAT WORK ON THE RUNWAY WAS AT LEAST 6 MONTHS LATE, BUT THAT FINAL DESIGN COMPLETION BY EARLY APRIL WAS STILL ON COURSE.

8. SOME DETAILS OF THE DESIGN EMERGED FROM THEIR DRAWINGS AND

2

PAGE

RESTRICTED