GUANGDONG officials have not been in touch with their Hong Kong counterparts on infrastructural matters for more than a year, a provincial government official said yesterday. The disclosure from provincial Secretary-General, Zhong Qiquan, was made to members of the Preliminary Working Committee's (PWC) economic sub-group in Beijing. ''It seems as if there is no more economic co-operation,'' Hong Kong co-convenor, Nellie Fong Kut-man, quoted him as saying. She said Guangdong officials were relying on the Hong Kong Annual Report published by the Hong Kong Government and the mass media to collect information about the infrastructural development in the territory, Mrs Fong said. Mr Zhong did not specify whether the lack of contact was a result of sour Sino-British relations following the arrival of Governor Chris Patten, Mrs Fong said. He told members there should be more contacts between Hong Kong and Guangdong because of their close economic ties. Seventy per cent of foreign investment in Guangdong came from Hong Kong, and 86 per cent of the province's imports and exports went through the territory. Mr Zhong said the Government could not wait for Hong Kong before mapping out plans and it hoped the territory could match Guangdong's development. He referred in particular to the construction of infrastructural projects such as the Northwestern railway links and the new airport. Hong Kong should tell Guangdong to which Chinese checkpoint the railway would be connected, Mrs Fong said. ''How can they [Hong Kong Government] refuse to discuss such an important subject before talking about the northwestern railway?'' Mrs Fong asked. Guangdong and Hong Kong should co-ordinate air traffic because there were six airports in Guangdong and Hong Kong, Mrs Fong said. Both Governments had stressed the need for economic co-operation and Mrs Fong said members hoped Hong Kong could take the initiative and co-operate with Guangdong. ''Since the area of Guangdong province is 10 times [that of Hong Kong], Hong Kong should not be too calculating and take the initiative,'' she said. The economic sub-group would look further into the issue.
