CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 872
OF 07170OZ MAY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
COPY CN
MAIN.
000212
MDHOAN 3031
AKG 182/3.
CIST?
am
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL, HKD
AIRPORT PROJECT: BECHTEL
1. YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF AN APPROACH WHICH MR ROGER DOBSON, DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS, HAS JUST MADE TO SIR PETER GREGSON, PERMANENT SECRETARY AT THE DTI. ROGER DOBSON IS AN EX-DIRECTOR OF BECHTEL UK LIMITED AND WAS CLEARLY SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HIS LATE EMPLOYERS.
2.
ACCORDING TO DOBSON, BECHTEL ARE WONDERING WHETHER IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO DEPLOY SOME OF THEIR POLITICAL TOP BRASS WITH THE CHINESE TO CREATE SOME MOVEMENT ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT TO ENABLE IT TO GO AHEAD. THEY WERE APPARENTLY THINKING OF GEORGE SCHULZ, A FORMER DIRECTOR OF BECHTEL, OR DR HENRY KISSINGER, WHO IS CLOSE TO THE BECHTEL
FAMILY.
3.
OUR INITIAL VIEW IS THAT THIS OFFER DESERVES CAREFUL THOUGHT AND WOULD NEED TO BE INTEGRATED IN ANY MOVES WHICH HMG OR HKG
MIGHT BE MAKING OVER THE AIRPORT.
4.
WE SHALL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS ALL THIS WITH CHRISTIAN ADAMS ON 9 MAY AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR INITIAL REACTIONS BEFORE THEN.
HURD
YYYY
ΜΑΙΝ
PADS SECRET
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
32
DISTRIBUTION
40
HD/RAD
PS
PAGE
PS/LORD CAITHNESS PS/PUS
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