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100734
MDLIAN 4838
HAPPY ABOUT THE RE-OPENING OF TALKS AND HOPED THAT THEY COULD COME TO A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION. REPLYING IN ENGLISH MR ZHOU SAID HE CONCURRED WITH LADY THATCHER'S REMARKS.
30. LADY THATCHER'S REMARKS ON THE GOVERNOR'S PACKAGE WERE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE PRESS (15.5). SHE REITERATED HER SUPPORT FOR THE PACKAGE, NOTING IT HAD NOT CONTRAVENED THE BL. SHE BELIEVED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES COULD BE RESOLVED THROUGH DISCUSSION AND DISMISSED COMMENTS THE GOVERNOR HAD INTERNATIONALISED THE HK QUESTION DURING HIS US VISIT. LADY THATCHER NOTED BRITAIN'S ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY ABOUT HK WAS TO IMPLEMENT THE JD. THE BRITISH HAD NO PLAN FOR AN HONOURABLE RETREAT BUT THEY HAD TO SET AN HONOURABLE EXAMPLE OF BRITISH ADMINISTRATION AND RULE OF LAW, AS WELL AS A BRITISH SPIRIT WITH CHINESE CHARACTERISTICS.
NEW AIRPORT
31. ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS (20.5) UNDERSTOOD THE CHINESE SIDE FELT POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE AIRPORT PROJECT WERE TWO DIFFERENT ISSUES. THEY DID NOT NEED TO WAIT FOR SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS IN THE POLITICAL TALKS BEFORE THEY DISCUSSED THE NEW AIRPORT. THE CHINESE COULD SEE THE REAL URGENCY IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW AIRPORT. THEIR CURRENT STRATEGY WAS TO URGE THE BRITISH TO COME UP WITH A THIRD FINANCING PROPOSAL ON THE BASIS OF THE MOU. IF THIS FAILED, THE CHINESE WOULD CONSIDER WHETHER, AS A LAST RESORT, THE HUANGTIAN AIRPORT SHOULD BE USED IN PLACE OF CHEK LAP
KOK.
JLG
32. THE PAPERS NOTED (19.5) THE JLG HELD THE FIRST EXPERTS' MEETING SINCE DECEMBER 1992 IN POST-1997 EXTRADITION ARRANGEMENTS AND MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR CRIMINAL AFFAIRS.
33. PAPERS PROMINENTLY NOTED (21.5) THE CHINESE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT IN THE JLG ON THE LICENSING OF PAY TV, THE CONTRACT FOR WEST NT LANDFILL AND THE RENEWAL OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL FOR HK ELECTRIC. THE NEWS WAS RELEASED BY THE CHINA NEWS SERVICE IN WHICH AN OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHINESE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE JLG WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ALL ALONG CONCERNED ABOUT PEOPLE'S LIVELIHOOD AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HK. THIS CHINESE WOULD ADOPT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ISSUES THAT HELPED THE LONG-TERM PROSPERITY AND STABILITY OF HK.
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