CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 108
OF 17163OZ JANUARY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
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PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM BURNS, AUSS
VISIT OF SIR ALISTAIR MORTON: SPEECHES AT APEX CONFERENCE: SHORT MEETING
1. SIR A MORTON CALLED ON ME ON 17 JANUARY IN ORDER TO
ESTABLISH WHICH AREAS OF PADS HE SHOULD STEER CLEAR OF IN THE (TWO) SPEECHES HE IS MAKING AT THE APEX CONFERENCE NEXT WEEK. HE WILL BE OPENING THE CONFERENCE ON 24 JANUARY AND ALSO GIVING A SPEECH ON HIS OWN EXPERIENCES LATER THAT DAY.
2. I BRIEFED HIM GENERALLY ON THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS, INDICATED THAT COMMENTS IN SUPPORT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN GENERAL AND OF THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT WOULD BE UNCONTROVERSIAL AND WELCOME. I STEERED HIM OFF FROM COMMENTING ON THE EXTENT OF AND NEED FOR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION AND WARNED HIM OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE ISSUE OF CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE. BUT I DID NOT GO INTO DETAILS AND WARNED HIM THAT
THINGS MIGHT HAVE MOVED ON DURING YOUR VISIT TO PEKING.
3.
SIR A MORTON IS KEEN TO ENSURE THAT HE DOES NOT SAY ANYTHING EMBARRASSING TO YOU OR PUT HIS FOOT IN IT VIS A VIS THE CHINESE. I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE IF SIR DAVID FORD (WHO WE UNDERSTAND IS ATTENDING THE OPENING), OR HAMISH MCLEOD OR ANSON CHAN, COULD HAVE A WORD WITH HIM BEFORE THE OPENING CEREMONY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CO-ORDINATE WELL ON THIS. HE IS STAYING AT THE GRAND HYATT HOTEL AND WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF HE COULD HAVE A SHORT CHAT AT SAY 1030 ON THE 24TH, IN THE VICINITY OF THE HOTEL. WOULD THIS BE POSSIBLE?
4. YOU CAND SIR PIERS JACOBS WHO HE WILL BE SEEING AFTER THE CONFERENCE) WILL BE AWARE OF THE LONG, AND ULTIMATELY SUCCESSFUL, ROLE WHICH SIR A MORTON HAS PLAYED OVER A GRUELLING YEAR IN SECURING ADDITIONAL PRIVATE FINANCING FOR THE EUROTUNNEL PROJECT. HE IS A SHREWD OPERATOR WITH WIDE EXPERIENCE OF INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS. HE SEEMED TO BE QUITE PERCEPTIVE ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF PADS (HE WAS ONCE APPROACHED IN VAIN BY
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