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FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELNO 1713
OF 28112OZ MAY
HKE 182 14
CA JUNTS
TOP COP
Q DIST?
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
40
073025 MDHIAN 8750
AIRPORT TALKS: PRESS REPORTS, 29 MAY 1991
SUMMARY
1.
REPORTS ON RESERVES AND CONSULTATION ATTRIBUTED TO CHINESE SOURCES. COMMENTS BY CHEN RONGCHUN OF NCNA. EDITORIAL COMMENT IN COMMUNIST PRESS.
DETAIL
2.
CHINESE SOURCES ARE QUOTED IN TODAY'S (29 MAY) PRESS AS STRESSING THAT NO CONCESSIONS WOULD BE MADE ON THE TWO IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES REGARDING FISCAL RESERVES AND EXAMINATION OF MAJOR ISSUES STRADDLING 1997. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS ADDED THAT IF HKG DID NOT/NOT ACCEPT THESE TWO PRINCIPLES THEN, ACCORDING TO THE SOURCES, IT WOULD NOT/NOT BE FOLLOWING THE JD AND WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CONSEQUENCES. THE CHINESE COULD NOT/NOT YIELD FURTHER. A CHINESE OFFICIAL TOLD THE PAPER THAT HKG SHOULD NOT/NOT DRAIN ALL THE RESERVES. ALL MATTERS STRADDLING 1997 AND INVOLVING RESPONSIBILITY AND OBLIGATIONS FOR THE SARG MUST BE RESOLVED THROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINA.
3. THE HEAD OF NCNA'S FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, CHEN RONGCHUN, TOLD THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL THAT A BRITISH DECISION TO SHELVE THE AIRPORT WOULD BE A VERY IRRESPONSIBLE MOVE. BUT CHINESE DEMANDS WOULD NOT/NOT CHANGE. IF THE AIRPORT WERE TO BE SHELVED, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND CHINESE COMPANIES IN HONG KONG WOULD FULLY SUPPORT THE SARG TO BUILD A NEW AIRPORT AFTER 1997. A VISITING RESEARCHER FROM THE STATE DEVELOPMENT AND RESEARCH CENTRE, JI CHONGWEI, SAID THAT IF HKG SHELVED THE AIRPORT, CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG WOULD BE DEALT A SERIOUS BLOW. IF THE TWO SIDES FOSTERED MUTUAL TRUST THEY COULD REACH AN AGREEMENT.
WEN WEI PO CARRIED THREE COLUMNS ON THE AIRPORT. THE FIRST NOTED THAT THE BRITISH HAD BACK-PEDDLED AT THE AIRPORT TALKS.
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