TNAG-2822-FCO40-4072-Hong-Kong-boundaries-and-territorial-waters-1993 — Page 14

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FM HONG KONG

TO ROUTINE FCO

TELNO 921

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HCC 0401

RECEIVED CISTRY

DESK C INDEX

I

7 JUN 1993

REGISTRY

PA Action Taken

My

OF 050515Z JUNE 93

INFO ROUTINE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

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Machetes

133726 MDLIAN 7375

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24 HOUR ROAD BORDER BETWEEN HONG KONG AND GUANGDONG.

SUMMARY.

1.

WE HAVE PROPOSED TO THE CHINESE THAT THERE SHOULD BE A 24 HOUR CROSS-BORDER FACILITY FOR VEHICLES AT LOK MA CHAU STARTING IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1994/95.

DETAIL.

2.

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AT PRESENT MAN KAM TO AND LOK MA CHAU ARE OPEN FOR GOODS VEHICLES FRM 7.00 AM 10.00 PM. SHA TAU KOK IS OPEN 7.00 AM 6.00 PM. BUT THERE IS STILL CONGESTION: UP TO 30 MINUTES AT LOK MA CHAU AND MORE THAN 1 HOUR AT MAN KAM TO. IN THE PAST 3 YEARS, DAILY AVERAGE VEHICLE THROUGHPUT HAS GROWN BY 15 PER CENT PER ANNUM. DURING MARCH AND APRIL THIS YEAR, A DAILY AVERAGE OF ABOUT 20,000 VEHICLES CROSS THE BORDER, AN INCREASE OF 13 PER CENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR. WE EXPECT THESE RATES OF GROWTH TO BE MAINTAINED.

3.

THE POLITICAL ADVISER CALLED IN CHEN RONGCHUN OF NCNA ON 5 JUNE TO MAKE PROPOSALS FOR FURTHER OPENING UP OF THE BORDER.

4.

EHRMAN SAID THAT THE HKG PLANNED TO BRING TWO MORE KIOSKS INTO USE ON OUR SIDE OF THE BORDER AT LOK MA CHAU STARTING IN EARLY 1994. AT PRESENT ONLY 7 OF THE 14 KIOSKS ARE OPEN.

5. HE SAID THAT THE HKG ALSO PROPOSED THAT 2 OF THE 14 KIOSKS AT LOK MA CHAU SHOULD BE OPEN FOR 24 HOURS A DAY STARTING FROM A DATE TO BE AGREED BETWEEN APRIL 1994 AND APRIL 1995. WE WANTED TO SEE HOW WELL A 24 HOURS BORDER OPERATED AT LOK MA CHAU BEFORE CONSIDERING WHETHER IT SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO EITHER MAN KAM TO OR SHA TAU KOK. BUT IN ORDER THAT MAN KAM TO AND SHA TAU KOK LICENSED VEHICLES SHOULD NOT BE DISADVANTAGED COMPARED TO LOK MA CHAU, WE PROPOSED THAT DURING THE HOURS WHEN MAN KAM TO AND SHA TAU KOK WERE SHUT, VEHICLES LICENSED FOR THESE TWO CROSSING

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