0) BTC HONG KONG DESKBY 080100Z
GR 635
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 164/1
RECEIVED
- 8 DEC 1978
DESK OF
INDEX
DESKBY 080100Z
FM D.0.1. 072156Z DEC 78
TO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER INDUS 315 OF 7 DECEMBER
AND TO PEKING.
FOR MARCH FROM THORNTON
HONG KONG TRANSMISSION SYSTEM
319
YOUR INDUS 214 (ALSO TO PEKING), 216
1.
PA
12
51
# RY
Cu Ten
fu
87xin
331
H K & GD
TRED R
2
See (355
N.T.
M.I.F.T. CONTAINS REVISED DRAFT TEXT OF PRESS RELEASE REPORTING TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ORDER, TOGETHER WITH OUR COVERING SUBMISSION TO MINISTER OF STATE ALAN WILLIAMS. ODELL'S AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED, TOGETHER WITH ONE OR TWO FROM OTHERS HERE. WE AGREE WITH SIR SIDNEY GORDON AND YOU THAT THE REFERENCE TO POUNDS STERLING 55 OR 56M U.K. GOODS AND SERVICES SHOULD BE DROPPED.
2. I NOTE THAT THE PRICE IS NOW POUNDS STERLING EIGHTY-FIVE MILLION. WHY THE INCREASE - IS IT TO DO WITH PHASING?
3. I ALSO NOTE THAT ODELL SUGGEST WE NAME HAWKER SIDDELEY QUOTE ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT HAWKER SIDDELEY WILL BE THE SOLE TRANSFORMER MANUFACTURER UNQUOTE. HOW SAFE IS THAT ASSUMPTION I AM STILL SLIGHTLY CONCERNED AT NAMING ONLY ONE IF FERRANTI STILL BELIEVE THEY ARE IN, OR AT NAMING BOTH IF THEY MAY BE DROPPED?
4. THE LINE TO THE BORDER IS CAUSING SOME WORRY HERE: I HAVE DISCUSSED THE POSITION BRIEFLY WITH HEYWOOD (CHINA) AND THOMPSON (H.K.) AT THE F.C.0. THE CHINESE HAVE ALREADY SHOWN SENSITIVITY TO PRESS ANNOUNCEMENTS WHICH SEEM TO THEM PREMATURE: I GATHER THERE WAS SOME DISCOMFORT OVER MINING MACHINERY DEALS. THE CHINESE HAVE ONLY JUST SHOWN INTEREST IN KADOORIE'S PROPOSALS INDEED WE IN LONDON ONLY KNOW OF THIS FROM YOUR REPORT OF KADOORIE'S REMARKS, AND HAVE AS YET NO DIRECT KNOWLEDGE FROM PEKING. IT SEEMS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SPUR LINE OPTION, WHICH NECESSARILY IMPLIES THE POSSIBUITY OF ELECTRICITY SUPPLY INTO CHINA.