CONFIDENTIAL
thic
12/1
2 J
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 1955
OF 221024Z JUNE 90
AND TO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG
NT
(13)
گا
064017 MDHIAN 6076
TOP COPY Q DIST?
YOUR TELNO 595 AND 1164: ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (ADB): POSSIBLE
ANNUAL MEETING IN HONG KONG.
17
1. AS ENVISAGED IN PARA 4 OF OUR TELNO 943, WE CONSULTED OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN THE BANK ON 9 APRIL WHILE HE WAS HERE FOR THE
USUAL PRE-ANNUAL MEETING CONSULTATION. HE RESPONDED POSITIVELY AND
SUGGESTED THAT THE SECRETARY FOR MONETARY AFFAIRS (SMA) SHOULD MENTION THE IDEA TO THE ADB PRESIDENT DURING HIS CUSTOMARY MEETING WITH HIM IN MAY. HE ALSO SUGGESTED THAT, IN VIEW OF POSSIBLE COMPETING BIDS, OUR IDEA SHOULD BE MADE KNOWN TO OTHER MEMBER COUNTRIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, PERHAPS BY SAYING SO IN OUR SPEECH TO GOVERNORS AT THE ANNUAL MEETING IN MAY.
2. THE DEPUTY POLITICAL ADVISER INFORMED NCNA ON 12 APRIL OF OUR INTENTION TO APPROACH THE ADB. ON 2 MAY, JI SHAOXIANG OF NCNA TOLD THE POLITICAL ADVISER THAT HE HAD RELAYED OUR PROPOSAL TO PEKING AND HAD RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THIS WAS THAT AS HONG KONG WAS A FORMAL MEMBER OF THE ADB IN ITS OWN RIGHT, PEKING WOULD SUPPORT HONG KONG IN ITS BID TO HOST A MEETING.
3. IN NEW DELHI ON 1 MAY, SMA MENTIONED PRIVATELY TO THE ADB PRESIDENT THAT HONG KONG WOULD LIKE TO HOST A FUTURE ANNUAL MEETING. IN HIS STATEMENT TO GOVERNORS ON 4 MAY, SMA EXTENDED THE INVITATION PUBLICLY. ON 12 MAY WE WROTE FORMALLY TO THE PRESIDENT INVITING THE BANK TO HOLD AN ANNUAL MEETING IN HONG KONG AT THE
EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY.
4. WE UNDERSTAND FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT THE ADB MANAGEMENT ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOLDING THE 1992 MEETING IN MANILA BECAUSE OF THE PROBABILITY OF ITS BEING AFFECTED BY VIOLENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE PHILIPPINES GENERAL ELECTION DUE TO BE HELD IN MAY 1992. TO HOLD THE MEETING IN HONG KONG INSTEAD WOULD PROBABLY ADD LITTLE TO ITS COST. IN VIEW OF THIS, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR INFORMED THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ON 31 MAY THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR 1992. FIJI HAS MADE A BID FOR 1993 OR 1994 AND FRANCE FOR 1994. NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN TAKEN ON THE VENUES FOR
PAGE
1
CONFIDENTIAL