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INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
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AIRPORT TALKS: PRESS REPORTS 13 JUNE 1991
SUMMARY
1. FURTHER FEEDBACK ON LU PING'S COMMENTS TO THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. VISIT TO PEKING BY STUDY GROUP ON INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.
DETAIL
2. MANY PAPERS REPORTED COMMENTS BY VINCENT LO, LEADER OF THE HONG KONG GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION TO PEKING, ON HIS RETURN TO HONG KONG. LO SAID THAT LU PING HAD CLEARLY REFLECTED THE VIEWS OF THE HONG KONG MACAO AFFAIRS OFFICE. LO HAD THE IMPRESSION THAT IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT CHINA AND BRITAIN WOULD REACH AGREEMENT OVER THE AIRPORT IN THE NEAR FUTURE AS THE TWO SIDES DISTRUSTED EACH OTHER. HE QUOTED LU AS RE-STATING CHINESE HOPES THAT HONG KONG WOULD BUILD A NEW AIRPORT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. LU WAS CONFIDENT THE TWO SIDES WOULD EVENTUALLY STRIKE A DEAL AND HOPED THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR WOULD TAKE PART IN THE PROJECT. THE CHINESE HAD NO INTENTION OF INTERFERING WITH HONG KONG AFFAIRS AND DID NOT/NOT WISH TO SEE HKG BECOME A LAME DUCK
GOVERNMENT.
3. THE SCMP REPORTED LO AS QUOTING LU AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISED THAT THE HKG HAD DECIDED ON CHEK LAP KOK AFTER MANY INVESTIGATIONS AND STUDIES. THE PAPER'S HEADLINE READS QUOTE BEIJING DOES NOT OPPOSE CHEK LAP KOK'S AIRPORT SITE UNQUOTE. BUT THE COMMENTS ACTIVELY ATTRIBUTED TO LU PING FALL SHORT OF CONFIRMING THIS. LO SAID HE HAD TOLD LU THAT SCRAPPING THE AIRPORT PROJECT WOULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON CONFIDENCE. IT WOULD AFFECT HONG KONG'S SMOOTH TRANSITION IF BOTH GOVERNMENTS COULD NOT/NOT CO-OPERATE. HE REPORTED THAT LU HAD BEEN QUOTE A BIT WORRIED UNQUOTE ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY.
4. ANOTHER GROUP CALLING ON LU PING WAS THE STUDY GROUP FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS A GROUP OF HONG KONG
LECTURERS WHO HAVE PRODUCED A REPORT ON ALTERNATIVE SITES TO CHEK
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