TNAG-2290-FCO40-3296-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-Macau-1991 — Page 192

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160127

MDLIAN 5446

CONFIDENTIAL

FM BTC HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY LISBON

TELNO 005

OF 13103OZ MARCH 91

AND TO PRIORITY FCO,

CONFIDENTIAL

HKCO20/1

PEKING

15 MAR 1991

Фра

AND TO ROUTINE DTI, HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

Масаи

Bom

DTI FOR GALLAHER PEP

MACAU AIRPORT PROJECT

SUMMARY

1. MACAU AIRPORT CHAIRMAN CONFIDENT THAT CURRENT IMPASSE WITH

CHINA OVER NOISE POLLUTION WILL BE RESOLVED IN PEKING 13-15 MARCH. FUTURE PROBLEMS ON AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC), AIR SERVICE AGREEMENTS (ASA) AND FINANCE MAY HOWEVER BE MUCH MORE SERIOUS.

DETAIL

2. GRAHAM MET FERREIRA, CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT AUTHORITY, IN MACAU ON 8 MARCH. FERREIRA SAID LU PING HAS PROMISED ACTING GOVERNOR NABO DURING HIS VISIT TO MACAU THAT THE NEXT ROUND OF

AIRPORT TALKS IN PEKING WOULD RESOLVE THE CURRENT DISAGREEMENT ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION. VASCONCELOS (UNDER SECRETARY, PUBLIC WORKS) AND OTHER OFFICIALS WOULD REPRESENT MACAU, BUT FERREIRA

WOULD ALSO ATTEND: THE CHINESE DELEGATION WOULD AGAIN BE MFA LED BUT INCLUDE CAAC. FERREIRA BELIEVED THE CHINESE WOULD NOT SIMPLY

ACCEPT MACAU'S POSITION BUT WOULD DEMAND SOME CONCESSION.

3. FERREIRA SAID A SUCCESSFUL MEETING IN PEKING WOULD BRING RELIEF THAT THE RUNWAY AND PILING CONTRACTS COULD NOW BE AWARDED AND WORK PROCEED. BUT THE REAL PROBLEMS WOULD COME LATER. NOISE

LEVEL WAS A DIVERSION WHICH HAD DELAYED THEM 9 MONTHS. SAND

SUPPLIES WERE NOW FULLY RESUMED.

4. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC). FERREIRA SAID THE VASCONCELOS/ICAO

PROPOSAL (FOR A PRIVATE COMPANY EQUALLY OWNED BY CHINA/HONGKONG/MACAU TO MAKE AIR SPACE DECISIONS) WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA. THEIR CENTRALISED SYSTEM WOULD NEVER ACCEPT DECISIONS ON SOMETHING AS FUNDAMENTAL AS CONTROL OF AIR SPACE TO

BE IN PRIVATE HANDS. HE THOUGHT THE TECHNICAL ATC PROBLEMS, WITH CHEK LAP KOK SO CLOSE, WERE ALREADY CONSIDERABLE WITHOUT CHINESE POLITICAL SENSITIVITIES. THIS WOULD BE A DIFFICULT ISSUE.

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CONFIDENTIAL