CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG TO IMMEDIATE DTI
TELNO OTTER 230
OF 1011OOZ DECEMBER 91
AND TO IMMEDIATE FCO
HKB 182/3
INFO IMMEDIATE TOKYO, SEOUL
DTI FOR HALL, PEP
71
172
075102
MDHIAN 5604
TOP COPY Q DIST?
MY TELNO OTTER 229: HONG KONG AIRPORT PROJECT:
MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT.
SUMMARY
THE ALL-JAPANESE GROUP APPEAR VERY CONFIDENT OF PUTTING IN A SUCCESSFUL BID FOR THIS POUNDS 600 MILLION CONTRACT.
1.
DETAIL
2. AT A MEETING WITH CHRIS BENJAMIN, FORMERLY AN UNDER- SECRETARY IN THE DTI AND NOW WORKING WITH C ITOH, WHO ARE PART OF THE ALL-JAPANESE GROUP WHO ARE BIDDING FOR THIS BRIDGE, HE TOLD ME THAT THEIR GROUP ARE VERY CONFIDENT OF TAKING THIS CONTRACT. HE SAID THEIRS WOULD BE A VERY COMPETITIVE BID. THEY EXPECTED TO BE FULLY COMPLIANT. (BENJAMIN SAID THAT FIXED PRICE CONTRACTS WERE MUCH MORE COMMON IN JAPAN THAN ELSEWHERE AND THAT ASPECT CAUSED THEM NO PROBLEMS). THEY ALSO EXPECT TO PUT IN GOOD SUPPORTING FINANCIAL PROPOSALS. THE GROUP IS BEING LED BY NIPPON STEEL, AND A STRONG TEAM REPRESENTING MOST OF THEIR COMPANIES WERE IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK, PUTTING THE FINAL DETAILS OF THE BID TOGETHER.
3.
THIS COULD BE DISINFORMATION, BUT I HAVE KNOWN BENJAMIN A LONG TIME AND SUSPECT THAT IT IS LARGELY TRUE. IT WOULD BE WORTH PASSING THIS ON TO MYERS AT TRAFALGAR HOUSE WHO IS AWARE THAT THE JAPANESE GROUP IS VERY CONFIDENT. HE MIGHT ALSO BE TOLD THAT THE JAPANESE GROUP TOO, IT SEEMS, ARE WORRIED ABOUT A MAVERICK BID FROM THE KOREANS.
HEAP
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