TNAG-2275-FCO40-3274-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 97

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033746

MDLIAN 7881

SAYING THAT IT WAS A STEP BACKWARD AMID PROMISES TO INCREASE THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE TALKS AND A VIOLATION OF THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. THE CHINESE, HOWEVER, SAID THAT THE PRESS BAN AND THE INCREASE IN THE TALKS' TRANSPARENCY HAD NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP AND THAT THERE WERE MANY OTHER WAYS TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY. A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NCNA LOCAL BRANCH'S PROPAGANDA DEPARTMENT WAS QUOTED (12.2) AS SAYING THAT THE AGENCY HAD NOT YET RECEIVED FINAL INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THE HANDLING OF HK REPORTERS' APPLICATIONS TO COVER THE TALKS. SOME MEDIA REPORTS NOTED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A CHANGE OF STAND ON THE ISSUE.

8.

TVB AND SOME PAPERS (12.2) REPORTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO SCALE DOWN THE DOLLARS 127 BILLION PADS PROJECTS BY ABOUT A THIRD OR A FOURTH. THE PROPOSED SCALING DOWN INCLUDED THE SCRAPPING OR POSTPONEMENT OF TWO RECLAMATION SITES IN TUEN MUN AND A PORTION OF THE RECLAMATION PROJECT ON GREEN ISLAND AND WEST KOWLOON. TWO MAJOR HIGHWAYS, THE WEST KOWLOON EXPRESS HIGHWAY AND THE GREEN ISLAND EXPRESSWAY, WOULD BOTH BE REDUCED FROM SIX LANES TO FOUR. THE DOLLARS 15 BILLION RAIL LINK BETWEEN THE AIRPORT AND THE URBAN AREA WOULD BE DELAYED FOR 10 YEARS. THE HK TEAM OF EXPERTS WAS EXPECTED TO PRESENT THESE PROPOSED ALTERNATIONS TO THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS IN THE THIRD ROUND OF TALKS IN PEKING.

9. THE US CONSUL-GENERAL IN HK, RICHARD WILLIAMS, SAID THAT CHINESE SUPPORT FOR THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT WOULD HELP ATTRACT MORE AMERICAN INVESTMENT.

10. FINDINGS OF A PUBLIC OPINION POLL REVEALED THAT MORE THAN 40 PER CENT OF THE PEOPLE INTERVIEWED WERE OF THE OPINION THAT THE HK GOVERNMENT HAD NOT RELEASED SUFFICIENT FINANCIAL DATA ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT AND THAT 44 PER CENT FELT THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD BE POSTPONED UNTIL AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE WAS REACHED.

NATIONALITY

11. THE MEDIA NOTED THAT SO FAR ONLY SOME 5 000 COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS HAD BEEN HANDED IN. THE PAPERS (11.2) NOTED THAT THE SUNDAY TIMES SAID THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS EMBARRASSED BY THE SMALL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. FCO MINISTER LORD CAITHNESS WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT HE WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED OVER THE COOL RESPONSE, THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS ONLY PROVIDING A CHANCE FOR HK PEOPLE AND THAT IT WAS UP TO THEM TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (12.2) REPORTED THAT THE COMMONS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WOULD SUMMON THE HK COMMISSIONER

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