香港總督府
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
CR 6/5361/55
Dee Rall.
25th Octobe 1975.
3 NOV 1975
འ
HKK 3/548/4
It was good of you to take the trouble to report so fully on Sir Y.K. Kan's visit to Paris.
The package of concessions announced during the visit is certainly welcome from our point of view. We hope that it will, in due course, lead to the complete removal of all the remaining discriminatory restrictions on Hong Kong products and thus bring France into line with the rest of the Community.
11
As regards the Hong Kong Mass Transit Railway, French companies are well represented in the list of prospective tenderers for various contracts, particularly the electrical and mechanical ones. 'Bonygnes" and "Coiguet S. A. are prominent among them. There are thus ample opportunities for the French in this project. Three of the civil engineering contracts have already been let, and Dragages have a 30% interest in a European Syndicate led by Hocktief which has been awarded one of these worth a little under £20 M. So the French have made a good start.
My absence from Hong Kong in December need not prevent M. Segard visiting here in December. The official visit in 1976 should ideally take place after the end of January because of the local Lunar New Year holidays. The Trade Development Council intends to announce its decision to open an office in Paris during M. Segard's second visit. However, for your own information, it may be several months thereafter
R. Arculus Esq., CMG, Minister (Economic),
British Embassy,
35 rue du Faubourg,
St. Honore,
Paris (8e)
65