RESTRICTED
to
RESTRICTED
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY DTI
TELNO OTEX 24
OF 23053OZ AUGUST 91
Cox
M
ti.
030251 MDLIAN 4870
1992. Mr. Stone F.i. 27/8
[
HNB 027/4
Mr.
2
ED
3. pa
Emer Doherty 23/8
FOR RUSSELL HARRIS, FAIRS AND PROMOTIONS BRANCH, AND
FOR DAY, PEP2
YOUR TELNO OTEX 50:/ VIP SCHEME
1.
•This scheme is funded solely by DTI so presumably our achic.
PROPOSED VISIT OF STEPHEN POON
the
not
needed.
BEFORE PUTTING THE PROPOSED INVITATION FOR A VIP DTI VISIT TO
THE U.K. TO STEPHEN POON, I CONSIDERED IT TO BE PRUDENT TO RAISE IT WITH HIS MANAGING DIRECTOR, SIR WILLIAM STONES. STONE TOLD ME (IN VERY STRICT CONFIDENCE) THAT POON WAS TO BE PASSED OVER AS THE NEXT MANAGING DIRECTOR OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER AND HAD BEEN TOLD THIS, AND THAT HE WAS ALMOST CERTAIN TO LEAVE THE COMPANY SHORTLY WHEN THE
FIRST STEPS ARE TAKEN TO RECRUIT STONES'S SUCCESSOR FROM OUTSIDE. HE THEREFORE ADVISED FIRMLY AGAINST OUR ISSUING SUCH AN INVITATION BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THAT BY NEXT APRIL POON WOULD PROBABLY HAVE LEFT THEM, AND EVEN IF HE HAD NOT DONE SO IT WOULD BE AN EMBARRASSMENT TO THE COMPANY, TO LORD KADOORIE AND TO HIMSELF TO HAVE HIM MAKE SUCH A TRIP IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES.
2.
EVEN ALTHOUGH THERE WOULD BE A CASE FOR PERSEVERING WITH THE INVITATION, ON THE GROUNDS THAT POON IS STILL VERY INFLUENTIAL UNTIL HE GOES, AND THAT WHEN HE DOES GO HE IS PRESUMABLY LIKELY TO TAKE ON ANOTHER BIG JOB ELSEWHERE, NEVERTHELESS TO DO SO WOULD CLEARLY IRRITATE SIR WILLIAM STONES AND PROBABLY LORD KADOORIE. GIVEN OUR NEED TO PRESERVE OUR RELATIONS WITH THEM (IN ADDITION TO BLACK POINT AND ITS LIKELY ORDERS OF MORE THAN ONE BILLION POUNDS, STONES TOLD ME IN THE SAME CONVERSATION THAT THEY EXPECT TO SPEND AN ADDITIONAL TWO
BILLION POUNDS (28 BILLION HK DOLLARS) ON OTHER EQUIPMENT BETWEEN NOW AND 1999) WE MUST CONCLUDE THAT WE SHOULD DROP THE IDEA OF INVITING STEPHEN POON.
3.
STONES SAID THAT IF WE WANTED ANOTHER CANDIDATE FROM THE COMPANY WE COULD INVITE DR. Y B LEE, DIVISIONAL MANAGER OF PLANNING (THE POST POON OCCUPIED UNTIL HE BECAME GENERAL MANAGER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO) I DO NOT NOW LEE BUT STONES DESCRIBED HIM AS BEING IN HIS LATE 40S, UNASSUMING, AND VERY INTELLECTUAL. I SAID THAT I WAS NOT SURE THAT HE WAS QUITE SENIOR ENOUGH FOR THE VIP SCHEME BUT WE MIGHT CONSIDER HIM UNDER SOME OTHER CATEGORY (I WOULD WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS
·
1
PAGE
RESTRICTED