TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 78

UNCLASSIFIED

442

MDLIAN 1236,

PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY AND THE PROPOSED CONSULTATIVE

COMMITTEE AND THAT THE PROPOSAL PUT FORWARD BY THE CHINESE SIDE WAS WORTH CONSIDERING. A MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT A CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE WOULD INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCY AND ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT WOULD

BE COST-EFFECTIVE. SOME REPORTS (25.2) SAID THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD ALREADY AGREED TO THE SETTING UP OF THE COMMITTEE ALTHOUGH IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THIS WAS A POLITICAL PRODUCT.

4. TVB (21.2) QUOTING SOURCES, REPORTED THAT THE CHINESE SIDE HAD DURING THE TALKS RECEIVED FOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE HK GOVERNMENT : THE PLAN TO REMAIN AS ORIGINAL: THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SECOND RUNWAY TO BE DEFERRED UNTIL 1994 OR 1995: THE SECOND RUNWAY TO BE BUILT AFTER 1997: AND THE PROJECT TO BE SCALED DOWN SO THAT THERE WOULD BE ONLY ONE RUNWAY. THE STATION NOTED THAT THE CHINESE WERE INCLINED TOWARDS THE SECOND OR THIRD OPTION. THE STATION AND A NUMBER OF PAPERS (26.2) REPORTED THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT WAS STUDYING A REPORT SUBMITTED BY THE CHINESE SIDE AFTER THE THIRD ROUND OF TALKS. IN THE REPORT, THE CHINESE SIDE ARGUED THAT THE PROJECT'S FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY AS WELL AS A PROPOSED CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE AIRPORT WERE RELATED MATTERS WHICH COULD NOT BE DEALT WITH SEPARATELY.

5. SIR DAVID WILSON WAS QUOTED (21.2) AS SAYING THAT THE AIRPORT WOULD BE BUILT IN PHASES BUT WOULD NOT BE SCALED DOWN AS IT WAS MEANINGLESS TO BUILD A SMALL-SCALE AIRPORT. HE SAID THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE DOING A LOT TO EXPLAIN THE PROJECT TO THE PUBLIC. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (21.2) SAID THAT THE CHINESE STILL HAD RESERVATIONS ABOUT A ''SCALED DOWN'' AIRPORT AS THEY WERE WORRIED THAT IF IT WAS SCALED DOWN TOO MUCH, THE FUTURE SAR WOULD HAVE TO USE HUGE FUNDS TO EXPAND IT AFTER 1997.

6. THE FORMER CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF KIER LIMITED OF BRITAIN, RICHARD ALLEN, HAD BEEN APPOINTED CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY, THE ORIENTAL DAILY (22.2) REPORTED.

GENERAL REMARKS BY GUI FENGMIN

7. GUO FENGMIN SAID THAT THE CHINESE WERE ALWAYS IN FAVOUR OF PUTTING MORE HK CHINESE OFFICIALS IN SENIOR POSTS AND THAT IT WAS HOPED THAT SENIOR LOCAL OFFICIALS WOULD BE GROOMED TO TAKE OVER THE POST OF FINANCIAL SECRETARY. MR GUO SAID THAT THE STATIONING OF TROOPS WAS A SIGN OF THE RESUMPTION OF SOVEREIGNTY OF A

2

PAGE UNCLASSIFIED