TNAG-2276-FCO40-3275-Hong-Kong-and-the-media-1991 — Page 149

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INFO ROUTINE HKGO LONDON, PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

INFO ROUTINE HKGO WASHINGTON, HKGO NEW YORK, HKGO SAN FRANCISCO INFO ROUTINE HKG GENEVA, UKMIS GENEVA

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: PRESS COVERAGE: WEEKLY ROUNDUP

SUMMARY

1. MEDIA ATTENTION REMAINED ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT.

AIRPORT

2.

THE DIRECTOR OF THE HK AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE, LU PING (8.5 REPORTS) SAID THAT PEKING HAD NO INTENTION OF INTERFERING

WITH HKG OVER THE DEBATE ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT. HE SAID THAT

CHINA RECOGNISED HK'S NEED FOR A NEW AIRPORT AND HOPED TO ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT WOULD NOT INCUR A DEFICIT BUDGET FOR THE POST- 1997 SAR GOVERNMENT.

CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTER SPOKESMAN WU JIANMIN TOLD A PRESS BRIEFING (10.5 REPORTS) THAT CHINA HOPED TO REACH AN EARLY AGREEMENT WITH BRITAIN ON THE BASIS OF THE JD.

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4.

FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE RESUMPTION OF THE AIRPORT TALKS (11.5 REPORTS), THE FCO SPOKESMAN IN HK, CHRISTOPHER OSBORNE, SAID THAT THE FACT THAT BOTH SIDES WERE TO RE-OPEN TALKS DID NOT MEAN THAT DIFFERENCES HAD BEEN NARROWED. THE HK ECONOMIC JOURNAL (11.5) QUOTED THE HEAD OF THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT AT THE NCNA HK BRANCH, CHEN RONGCHUN, AS SAYING THAT CHINA HOPED THAT THE TWO SIDES WOULD REACH A FINAL AGREEMENT ON THE AIRPORT BUT THAT CHINA WOULD NOT YIELD ON THE QUESTION OF ITS RIGHT TO EXAMINE HK ISSUES.

5. MEDIA REPORTS (12.5) NOTED THAT THE GOVERNOR WOULD CUT SHORT HIS TRIP TO AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND TO DEAL WITH THE RESUMPTION OF TALKS.

6.

THE HK ECONOMIC TIMES (13.5) CARRIED EXCERPTS OF A

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