TNAG-2325-FCO40-3369-Hong-Kong-Bill-of-Rights-policy-1991 — Page 194

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116424 MDLIAN 0694

WOULD ENSURE HONG KONG'S STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WOULD BE ACTIVELY SUPPORTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD IN THE PAST EXPRESSED AGREEMENT MANY TIMES THAT HONG KONG NEEDED A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT TO MAINTAIN ITS STATUS AS AN

INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT TRANSPORT, TOURISM, TRADE AND FINANCE CENTRE. THE SAR GOVERNMENT

6. A MEMBER OF THE CHINESE TEAM, CHEN ZOU-ER, SAID (14.1 REPORTS) THAT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE JD, THE CHINESE HAD THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE MAJOR QUESTIONS WHICH STRADDLED 1997, THAT THE BRITISH DID NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE UNILATERAL DECISIONS, AND THAT IT WAS NECESSARY FOR THE BRITISH TO ARRIVE AT A CONSENSUS WITH THE CHINESE BEFORE EMBARKING ON IMPORTANT PROJECTS. HE SAID THAT THE CHINESE HAD NOT CONSIDERED THE POSSIBILITY OF SETTING UP A NEW LIAISON BODY SINCE BOTH SIDES COULD CONTINUE TO EXCHANGE VIEWS THROUGH EXISTING CHANNELS. MR CHEN SAID THAT THE VIEWS OF A MEMBER OF THE PROVISIONAL AIRPORT AUTHORITY, HO SAI-CHU, ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT DID NOT REPRESENT THOSE OF THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT.

7. QUOTING SOURCES, RTHK (14.1) REPORTED THAT CHINA HAD CALLED ON HONG KONG TO STOP WORK ON THE NEW AIRPORT PROJECT AND HAD WARNED HONG KONG OF SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF IT WENT AHEAD WITH THE TENDERING FOR THE 12 AIRPORT-RELATED PROJECTS. THE SOURCES SAID THAT NO FIXED DATE HAD BEEN SET FOR THE NEXT ROUND OF TALKS BUT THAT THE CHINESE HAD BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE BRITISH THROUGH DIPLOMATIC CHANNELS THAT SIR PIERS JACOBS WOULD HEAD THE BRITISH TEAM IN FUTURE. THE SOURCES ADDED THAT LUO JIAHUAN WOULD ALSO BE REPLACED. IT WAS NOTED THAT CHINA WAS ANGRY THAT THE BRITISH HAD SUGGESTED THAT LU PING HEAD THE CHINESE TEAM AS THE CHINESE FELT THEY HAD BEEN LOOKED DOWN UPON. A VICE-DIRECTOR OF THE NCNA HONG KONG BRANCH, ZHANG JUNSHENG, SAID (15.1 REPORTS) THAT CHINA HAD NO INTENTION OF INTERFERING WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG BEFORE 1997 AND THAT ITS ATTITUDE ON THE AIRPORT WAS AN EXPRESSION OF VIEWS ON MATTERS THAT STRADDLED 1997. FORMER CHINESE LEADER DENG XIAOPING WAS QUOTED (15.1) BY THE WIDE ANGLE MONTHLY AS SAYING THAT 00 MUCH UNNECESSARY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WOULD LEAVE A HEAVY BURDEN ON THE SAR GOVERNMENT AND THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESERVES TO BE LEFT BY THE BRITISH FOR THE SAR GOVERNMENT.

8. HAMISH MACLEOD, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE LATEST ROUND OF TALKS WAS USEFUL, ADDING THAT THE CHINESE HAD BEEN ASSURED THAT HONG KONG WOULD HAVE ADEQUATE FINANCIAL RESERVES IN 1997 WHEN THE FIRST RUNWAY OPENED, AND THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAD THE

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