CONFIDENTIAL
052531
MDHOAN 1045
CONFERENCES OF THIS KIND. WE TAKE IT THAT THE HONG KONG CONVENTION CENTRE, WHICH COMPARES VERY FAVOURABLY WITH FACILITIES ANYWHERE ELSE IN ASIA, WOULD BE USED:
(C) WE ARE NOT AWARE OF THE CHINESE HAVING BEEN CONSULTED ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL. BUT WE SEE NO REASON WHY THEY SHOULD OBJECT.
4. THE ODA HAVE ALSO INFORMED US OF A PRACTICAL DIFFICULTY, FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW. WHILST THEY SEE NO OBJECTION IN PRINCIPLE TO THE MEETING BEING HELD IN HONG KONG, THEY DO NOT THINK THAT THE FIRST AVAILABLE DATE FOR HONG KONG WOULD OCCUR UNTIL 1995. THIS IS FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS. ACCORDING TO THE GUIDELINES FOR THE LOCATION OF ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE ADB, THERE SHOULD BE TWO MEETINGS IN MANILA (THE BANK'S HEADQUARTERS) FOR EVERY ONE MEETING ELSEWHERE. IN PRACTICE, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE QUOTE AWAY UNQUOTE THAN QUOTE HOME UNQUOTE MEETINGS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS. THIS IS UNDESIRABLE, ON GROUNDS BOTH OF COST AND DISRUPTION TO THE BANK'S OPERATIONS. THE 1989, 1990 AND 1991 MEETINGS HAVE BEEN, OR WILL BE, HELD AWAY FROM MANILA. SO ODA THINK THAT THE 1992 AND 1993 ONES SHOULD BE HELD IN MANILA. FRANCE HAS ALREADY SECURED 1994 FOR A MEETING IN NICE. HENCE, THE FIRST AVAILABLE DATE FOR HONG KONG WOULD BE 1995. THAT SAID, THE POSSIBILITY OF HOLDING THE MEETING IN 1992 (LATE APRIL/EARLY MAY) OR 1993 NEED NOT BE RULED OUT, AND IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO PRESS FOR THIS.
5. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
35
LIMITED
HKD
FED
ERD
DISTRIBUTION
35
SEAD
MR MCLAREN MR BURNS
NNNN
2
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL