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FM WASHINGTON
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1818
OF 052249Z JULY 91
HKB 182 16
Q DIST?
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W
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG, PEKING, TOKYO, OTTAWA, CANBERRA INFO IMMEDIATE WELLINGTON, SINGAPORE, BTC HONG KONG
INFO IMMEDIATE UKREP JLG HONG KONG, ACTOR
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YOUR TELNO 219 TO ATHENS: CHINA/HONG KONG: THE AIRPORT PROJECT
SUMMARY
1.
AMERICAN STATEMENT WELCOMES SINO/UK AGREEMENT.
DETAIL
2.
AS INSTRUCTED IN TUR, WE BRIEFED STATE (SOLOMON) ON 3 JULY. GIVEN THE 4 JULY PUBLIC HOLIDAY IT WAS NOT UNTIL 5 JULY THAT STATE ISSUED A STATEMENT AS FOLLOWS: QUOTE THE US WELCOMES THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BRITISH AND CHINESE GOVERNMENTS TO PROCEED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN HONG KONG. CONTINUED COOPERATION BETWEEN BRITAIN AND CHINA IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINING CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S FUTURE. WE HOPE THAT HONG KONG'S PUBLIC AND BUSINESS CONFIDENCE WILL BE BOOSTED BY THE AGREEMENT TO GO FORWARD WITH THE AIRPORT, A PROJECT WHICH IS IMPORTANT FOR HONG KONG'S PROSPERITY AND COMPETITITIVENESS AS AN INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL CENTRE INTO THE NEXT CENTURY. UNQUOTE.
3. BOTH STATE AND NSC EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE DETAILS OF OUR MOU, OF WHICH WE HAVE GIVEN THEM COPIES. PAAL (NSC) COMMENTED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT TO PEKING WOULD PROBABLY RESULT IN PRESSURE ON THE AMERICANS FOR A HIGH-LEVEL VISIT. HE ASKED IF WE KNEW WHEN THE PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT MIGHT TAKE PLACE. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANYTHING WE CAN SAY IN ADDITION TO THE LINE IN YOUR GUIDANCE TELNO 23.
ACLAND
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