CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE DTI
TELNO OTTER 126
HKC 182 12
RECE!!!
TRY
OF 25103OZ MAY 90
3 1 MAY 1990
INFO PRIORITY TOKYO
FOR PEP
า
A8
+9
154137
MDHIAN 2142
YOUR TELNO OTTER 124 AND OTTER 305 TO TOKYO: HONG KONG AIRPORT
PROJECT
1. IN LIGHT OF THE DIFFICULTIES WITH THE JAPANESE A VISIT BY SIR G MANZIE AND FLETCHER NEXT WEEK WILL BE OPPORTUNE. (ALTHOUGH THEY SHOULD REALISE THAT MONDAY 28 MAY IS A PUBLIC HOLIDAY).
2. NEWS OF COSTAIN AND TRAFALGAR HOUSE'S DIFFICULTIES WITH THE JAPANESE HAS SPREAD QUICKLY HERE. FORREST OF GEORGE WIMPEY (WHO ARE ACTIVELY SEEKING PARTNERS AND NOW CLEARLY SEE A ROLE FOR THEMSELVES SOMEWHERE IN THE PROJECT) AND ELLIOTT OF HOPEWELL HAVE TOLD ME SEPARATELY IN THE LAST FEW DAYS THAT THEY BELIEVED THE ANGLO- JAPANESE GROUP HAD FALLEN APART AND SAID THAT THEY THEMSELVES WERE TALKING TO MAJOR JAPANESE CONTENDERS AS LIKELY ALLIES OR PARTNERS.
3. SIR PIERS JACOBS, FINANCIAL SECRETARY, STRESSING THAT HE WAS TALKING PERSONALLY AND IN COMPLETE CONFIDENCE, HAS ALSO TOLD ME THAT HE IS VERY DISTURBED BY REPORTS HE HAS HEARD OF THE FAILURE OF
COSTAIN AND TRAFALGAR HOUSE TO GET JAPANESE SUPPORT. HE SAID THEIR
GROUP HAD BEEN WELL AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION AT ONE STAGE BUT THERE WERE NOW SOME VERY STRONG CONTENDERS IN THE FIELD. HE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT THAT ANY DIFFERENCES WITH THE JAPANESE BE RECONCILED, SINCE AN ANGLO-JAPANESE PARTNERSHIP WAS VERY ATTRACTIVE TO THE HONG
KONG GOVERNMENT. IN THE SAME CONVERSATION HE SAID HE WAS A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF COST AND STRUCTURE OF THE RAIL ELEMENT IN THE LANTAU BRIDGE. HE WAS BEGINNING TO WONDER WHETHER IT WOULD NOT BE BETTER TO CONFINE THE MAIN ACCESS THROUGH THE BRIDGES TO ROAD TRAFFIC, AND PUT THE RAIL LINK IN A TUNNEL GOING DUE WEST FROM HONG KONG ISLAND. (GORDON WU HAS OF COURSE BEEN PROPOSING EXACTLY THIS FOR SOME TIME). I DOUBT WHETHER WE SHOULD READ TOO MUCH INTO THIS BUT IT COULD BE A STRAW IN THE WIND.
4. I ASSUME YOU WILL BE AWARE THAT CHRISTOPHER BENJAMIN, UNTIL RECENTLY DTI AND NOW WITH C. I TOH, WILL BE IN HONG KONG WITH A
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CONFIDENTIAL