CONFIDENTIAL
114143
MDHIAN 9824
MARVIN CHEUNG ON THE BASIS OF A STATEMENT BY FS THAT WE
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CANNOT SEE A SITUATION IN WHICH WE WOULD COME BACK TO THIS COUNCIL TO FUND FURTHER STAGES OF THE AIRPORT UNTIL WE REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHINESE SIDE'. INDEPENDENTS INCLUDING MARTIN BARROW SECURED A VOTE FROM HOWARD YOUNG OF CRC ON THE BASIS THAT THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION (YOUNG REPRESENTS THE TOURIST INDUSTRY) WOULD DENOUNCE HIM IF HE VOTED AGAINST.
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13. THE VOTE ON THE ITEM WAS TAKEN CLAUSE-BY-CLAUSE. ALL CLAUSES WERE PASSED 27 TO 25 EFFECTIVELY BY A MAJORITY OF JUST ONE VOTE. (FC ITEMS FALL IN THE CASE OF A TIE). CRC, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF HOWARD YOUNG, VOTED EN BLOC AGAINST ALL PROPOSALS, INCLUDING THE PLATFORM CONTRACT ITSELF WHICH THEY HAD SAID EVEN DURING DEBATE THAT THEY WOULD SUPPORT. UDHK ALL VOTED IN SUPPORT, TOGETHER WITH MOST INDEPENDENTS.
14. A SECOND AGENDA ITEM, TO FUND THREE CONSULTANCIES FOR RADAR, NAVIGATIONAL, WEATHER RADAR AND POST OFFICE EQUIPMENT AT THE NEW AIRPORT WAS PASSED WITHOUT DEBATE WITH A SLIGHTLY LARGER
MAJORITY.
ASSESSMENT
15. THIS CLOSE VOTE WAS WON BY DINT OF HEAVY LOBBYING. BUT ANOTHER ELEMENT MAY HAVE BEEN A SLIGHTLY AMBIGUOUS MESSAGE COMING DOWN TO HONG KONG FROM THE CHINESE LEADERSHIP. THERE WERE NO REPORTS OF DIRECT EXPRESSIONS OF OPPOSITION BY CHINA SPECIFICALLY TO THE LETTING OF THE PLATFORM CONTRACT. THERE WERE SOME REPORTS THAT NCNA STAFF PRIVATELY THOUGHT THAT THE PROJECT SHOULD GO AHEAD. THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SAY IN THE DEBATE THAT CHINA HAD NOT DIRECTLY OPPOSED LETTING OF THE CONTRACT AND NO-ONE COULD DISPUTE THIS · MAY HAVE LEFT SOME OF OUR OPPONENTS CONFUSED ON REAL PRC INTENTIONS.
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FORD
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