TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 111

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171434 MDLIAN 4621

5. MEDIA REPORTS NOTED THAT IT WAS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE THIRD ROUND OF EXPERT MEETINGS WOULD TAKE PLACE IN PEKING ON FEBRUARY 21 AND 22. CONVENOR OF THE LEGCO AD HOC GROUP STUDYING THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT STEPHEN CHEONG SAID THAT EVEN IF THE GOVERNMENT WAS TO DELAY THE COMPLETION DATE OF THE AIRPORT, IT COULD NOT BE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS BOWING TO PRESSURE FROM CHINA. SENIOR LEGCO MEMBER ALLEN LEE SAID THAT IN ORDER TO ALLAY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT'S ANXIETIES THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD CARELESSLY USE THE FISCAL RESERVES, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER MINIMISING THE SPENDING ON THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROJECT BY BUILDING ONE RUNWAY FIRST. THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WARREN WILLIAMS, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HONG KONG URGENTLY NEEDED A NEW AIRPORT TO MAINTAIN ITS STATUS AS AN INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL CENTRE AND THAT IT HAD TO OVERCOME ALL DIFFICULTIES TO BRING ABOUT THE PROJECT. MING PAO QUOTED THE CANADIAN COMMISSIONER IN HONG KONG AS SAYING THAT CANADA WAS IN SUPPORT OF HONG KONG'S PADS PROJECTS AND HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE MORE EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL PARTICIPATION. THE HONG KONG ECONOMIC JOURNAL REPORTED THAT THE BIGGEST LEGAL FIRM IN AUSTRALIA BELIEVED THAT HONG KONG'S NEW AIRPORT PROJECT WOULD BRING ABOUT BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR AUSTRALIA AND WAS KEEN TO BEGIN BUSINESS IN THE TERRITORY. THE PAPERS QUOTED ANSON CHAN AS SAYING THAT A CANADIAN CONSULTANCY FIRM, MARSHALL MACKLIN, WAS STUDYING THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE NEW AIRPORT. MEDIA REPORTS NOTED THAT LU PING WOULD VISIT HONG KONG AFTER THE THIRD ROUND OF EXPERT TALKS.

LORD CAITHNESS

6. THE FCO MINISTER WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, LORD CAITHNESS, SAID SINO-BRITISH RELATIONS WERE VERY GOOD AND THAT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AT PRESENT WAS A GREAT DEAL OF DIALOGUE, A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION GOING ON AND A GREAT DEAL OF AGREEMENT ON FUNDAMENTAL POINTS, THE MEDIA REPORTED. HE ADDED THAT THERE WERE BOUND TO BE UPS AND DOWNS BETWEEN NOW AND 1997. CPPCC HONG KONG DELEGATE XU XIMEN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE HOPED THAT SENIOR U K OFFICIALS VISITING THE MAINLAND AND HONG KONG WOULD STRESS SINO-BRITISH CO-OPERATION AND LOOK AT ISSUES FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE.

HUMAN RIGHTS

7. A SPOKESMAN FOR A HUMAN RIGHTS JOINT COMMITTEE, HO HEI-WAH, SAID THAT CIVIL SERVANTS SHOULD BE TAUGHT ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF HUMAN RIGHTS BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT COULD PROMOTE THE CONCEPT AMONG THE PUBLIC. LEGCO MEMBER SELINA CHOW SAID ALTHOUGH THE

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