BEC.LT
HILIL
Paru(4)
9.1
Cohud AFEH 12/1
LORD GOROMY-ROBERIC'S HELAING WITH THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG:
2 DECABER 1975
BRIEF NO. 9
CHINESE CIL REFINERY IN HONG KONG
Line to Take
1.
The Minister might ask the Governor for his views on the
probability of this getting off the ground and could enquire about the relationship, if any, between the Senton and Hong Kong oil refinery projects.
Background
2.
In September the Governor reported that there had been contacts between the Hong Hong Government and the American firm of construction engineers, Fluor, about the possibility of building a refinery and petro-chemical complex in or near Hong Kong for the Chinese Government. Fluor's proposal is that Chinese crude oil from a field 50 miles west of Canton should be refined in the Colony.
The bulk of the products would be returned to China but some would
be for sale in Hong Kong and third markets. Fluor claim to have submitted detailed recommendations to the Chinese including plans for the construction, operation and finencing of the refinery This would involve setting up a local holding company in Hong Long and Fluor envisage that its chairman should be Mr Henry Fok, a local businessman of somewhat dubious background but with good connections with the Chinese, who is said to have been acting as intermediary between Fluor and the Chinese Government.
Fluor say that the project has the attention of Harshal Teh, Minister of Defence, and Ten Hsiao-ping, First Vice-Premier.
3.
Our preliminary reaction was this there could be politionl and commercial advantage to Hong Kong in the scheme, but what it
would be essential to make sure that such matters as the nature and
composition of the holding company were decided in a way acco ̧ TALU to the Hong Kong Government. „e agreed that no action could be
DOCKET
/unvil k