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052240. MDHIAN 7808
WEN WEI PO OF 21 MAY CARRIED AN ARTICLE QUOTING NCNA AS SAYING THAT ALTHOUGH HONG KONG NEEDED A NEW AIRPORT, THE BURDEN AND IMPACT ON HONG KONG'S ECONOMY AND COMMUNITY SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE PUBLIC SHOULD BE INFORMED OF ALL DETAILED INFORMATION RELATING TO THE AIRPORT PROJECT. CHINA WOULD NOT/NOT INTERFERE WITH HKG'S ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY BEFORE 1997.
BUT BOTH SIDES WOULD HAVE TO SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS RELATING TO THE TRANSITION IN 1997 THROUGH DISCUSSION.
5. IN THE SAME ARTICLE, NCNA ALSO REFERRED TO THE LAND COMMISSION AS A MODEL FOR SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION. THIS HAS BEEN A RECURRING THEME OF LEFT-WING REPORTS ON THE AIRPORT TALKS. WEN WEI PO NOTED ON 18 MAY THAT THE LAND COMMISSION HAD PROVIDED VALUABLE EXPERIENCE WHICH COULD BE FOLLOWED TO SOLVE PROBLEMS RELATING TO AFFAIRS STRADDLING 1997. THE LAND COMMISSION WORKED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SPIRIT OF THE JD AND SOLVED PROBLEMS RELATING TO LAND LEASES EXTENDING BEYOND 1997. BUT THE CHINESE
SIDE HAD NOT/NOT INTERFERED WITH HKG'S EFFECTIVE AUTHORITY OVER LAND ADMINISTRATION. ISSUES STRADDLING 1997 COULD BE SOLVED SATISFACTORILY USING A SIMILAR MODEL. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC TIMES IN AN EDITORIAL ON 20 MAY NOTED THAT THE CHINESE HAD BEEN PROMOTING THE LAND COMMISSION MODEL, BUT SAID THIS MODEL HAD BEEN SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE ITS OBJECTIVE WAS SIMPLE AND CLEAR. IT WAS REASONABLE FOR BOTH SIDES TO DEAL FIRST WITH THE AIRPORT AS AN INDEPENDENT ISSUE AND TRY TO REACH A SOLUTION THROUGH GENUINE DISCUSSIONS. OTHER ISSUES STRADDLING 1997 COULD BE DEALT WITH BY THE JLG.
6. THE EXPRESS OF 22 MAY SAID THAT THE CRUX OF THE CURRENT ROUND OF TALKS WAS THE LAND COMMISSION MODEL PROPOSED BY THE CHINESE SIDE. EXPANDING THAT MODEL TO COVER OTHER ISSUES WOULD TOUCH ON THE BRITISH BOTTOM LINE OF MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE AUTHORITY. THEREFORE THE JURISDICTION OF SUCH A BODY WOULD NEED TO BE CLEARLY DEFINED. AS THIS WOULD TAKE TIME, THE AIRPORT TALKS WOULD NEED TO CONTINUE AND THERE WOULD NOT/NOT BE ANY BREAKTHROUGH. A NUMBER OF PAPERS QUOTED BRITISH SOURCES ON 20 MAY AS SAYING THAT THE LAND COMMISSION MODEL FOR RESOLVING ISSUES STRADDLING 1997 HAD NOT BEEN DISCUSSED DURING THE TWO DAYS OF DISCUSSION THUS FAR. THIS MODEL SHOULD NOT BE MIXED UP WITH THE AIRPORT ISSUE. CHINA HAD USED THIS EXAMPLE IN ORDER TO STRESS SINO- BRITISH CO-OPERATION RATHER THAN CHINESE INTERFERENCE.
7. THE TALKS HAVE INEVITABLY GIVEN RISE TO CONSIDERABLE SPECULATION. MANY PAPERS ON 20 MAY PLAYED UP THE QUOTE SPECIAL
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