TNAG-2256-FCO40-3240-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 14

REFERRED MR BURNS FOR DIST ADVICE (SUGGESTED AS REFTEL) LNMDAN 2075 HMLNAN 6867

SECRET

DO 25080OZ FCOLN

FM MON TO FCOLN

250 Z MAR

GRS 867

SECRET

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 25080OZ F C O

TELNO 913

OF 25070OZ MARCH 91

INFO DESKBY 2508OOZ PEKING

INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG

شهر

Д

13

F

PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS, FROM GOVERNOR

PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR

UKREP JLG HONG KONG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY.

YOUR TELNOS 567 AND 568: PADS: MEETING WITH LU PING.

Redacted Under FOI Exemption Sec 27(1)(a)(c)(d)

3.

FROM

QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER HKG OFFICIALS

WOULD BE ACCOMPANYING THE SECRETARY OF STATE, IT AGAIN SEEMS CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE ARE ONLY ENVISAGING THE POSSIBILITY OF A FINAL DEAL BEING MADE DURING THAT VISIT. THIS IS AS WE HAD ALREADY ASSUMED. IT CONFIRMS THE SUGGESTIONS

THAT THE CHINESE WISH THE AIRPORT ISSUE TO BE

RESOLVED BETWEEN HMG AND THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. Redacted under FOI Exemption Sec 23

4. IT SEEMS EQUALLY CLEAR THAT THE CHINESE OBJECTIVES ON THE AIRPORT GO BEYOND THAT ISSUE ITSELF. THEY HAVE CONCENTRATED ON THE AIRPORT PARTLY BECAUSE IT HAS COME UP NOW, AND PARTLY BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE THAT HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF LEVERAGE ON THIS PARTICULAR MATTER, WHICH THEY CAN USE TO SECURE SATISFACTORY ARRANGEMENTS ON THE WIDER ISSUES OF CONSULTATION. THEIR ASSESSMENT IS THAT WE DESPERATELY WANT TO BUILD THE NEW AIRPORT. THEY MAY ALSO BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN GET A MORE FORTHCOMING RESPONSE FROM LONDON THAN FROM HONG KONG ON THE QUESTION OF CONSULTATION.

5.

THE SIGNS OF CHINESE DETERMINATION TO GET MORE CLOSELY INVOLVED IN OUR ECONOMIC ADMINISTRATION AND ELSEWHERE HAVE BEEN APPARENT SINCE AT LEAST LAST SUMMER AND HAVE BEEN THERE OVER THE HORIZON BEFORE THAT. THEY ARE A REFLECTION OF THE CHINESE VIEW OF HOW MATTERS SHOULD BE HANDLED IN THE SECOND STAGE OF THE TRANSITION. THEY CAN BE SEEN IN THE JLG AS WELL AS IN OUR DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT. WHATEVER AGREEMENT WE REACH ON THE AIRPORT, IF WE DO REACH ONE, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT THE CHINESE

WILL COME BACK IN THE FUTURE ON OTHER ASPECTS, E.G. THE EXCHANGE UN),