Port and Airport Development Strategy explained

The Port and Airport Development Strategy (PADS) is an infrastructure project in Hong Kong. It is better known as the Rose Garden Project (Chinese: 玫瑰園計劃).[1]

Background

In the early 1980s, the Hong Kong Government already foresaw the incapability of the existing airport and container port to keep up with the growth of Hong Kong. The blueprints for the new airport and container port had already been drawn. However, the government decided to postpone the plan owing to the uncertainty of Hong Kong's future.

After the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, the government reproposed the plan in order to restore confidence among Hong Kong's populace.[2] It presented a rosy picture for the future to the Hong Kong people in order to halt the wave of emigration.

Infrastructure

Politics

The government of People's Republic of China (PRC) cast a great concern in the project for fear that the British would withdraw the monetary reserve of Hong Kong to Britain before the reunification with China 1997.[3] There was a lengthy series of conferences on the matter. Some Chinese officials also urged a downscaling of the project such as building one runway at the airport instead of two.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 玫瑰園計劃 每日一詞 文化精華 . 2024-04-25 . 當代中國.
  2. Web site: Editor . 2024-03-28 . 後六四香港:玫瑰園救港人信心,備忘錄破西方圍堵 . 2024-04-25 . recall-hk . en.
  3. Web site: 2018-10-11 . 當年千億玫瑰園計劃搞什麼? 奠定香港發展基石 . 2024-04-25 . www.bastillepost.com.